Friday's game against Punahou was disappointing at first, but became the highlight of my week as our team won by over twenty points! Say what you want, but 'Iolani has beaten Punahou in something other than academics! Although it was not intentional, my friends and I found ourselves dancing with joy on the Punahou side as our team got a touchdown from a fumble. While I was there, I also thought of Physics.Pictured here is Punahou's Reid Nomura catching a pass, courtesy of the Honolulu Advertiser. Although I'd rather not think about school as such a high-energy sport, projectile motion kept running through my mind. The quarterback may not think about values, but he has to put enough force and aim his throw so that the ball can accelerate and travel those yards without having the ball reach the right height at the wrong place. He must take into account gravity, and if it's windy, air resistance, to get his pass completed or risk an incomplete pass, or even worse an interception.
Nobody really thinks about that during a game, especially when we keep scoring and intercepting. But physicists can appreciate the physics involved in this American sport.
