The Physics

of High Jump
What is high jump?
High jump is an event in track in which the athlete attempts to
jump and bend backwards over a crossbar without knocking it
down.
Three Stages:
1. Running up
2. Takeof
3. Clearing the bar
 Run Up Centripetal acceleration:
The run up to the mat acceleration in a circle
directed towards the center.
should be in a J-shape. They
lean into the curve so when
they jump up, momentum
pushes them towards the mat.
Since high jumpers have a
short approach, they need to
accelerate as fast as possible.
Running in a curve creates
centripetal acceleration which
 f
To get the most power during the jump, the takeoff foot should be in contact
with the ground for the shortest amount of time possible. Less time equals more
force.
Power=Work/time
Newton’s Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction. This means if the jumper pushes on off the gown with a certain amount of
force, the ground will push the jumper up with the same amount of force. The more
force you have, the higher you will jump.

During takeoff, the

horizontal velocity
is changed into
vertical velocity.
 Clearing the
Bar
Swinging their arms up during
takeof will boost jumpers up and
give them more height to clear
the bar. After takeof, the center
of gravity follows a parabola. As
the center of mass travels along
the parabola, the body rotates
around it, allowing the jumper to
clear the bar.
 Center of
Gravity Western Roll vs.
Fosbury Flop
Jumpers go backwards over
the bar to make their jump
higher with less force. If you
bend backwards, your center
of mass is below your body,
meaning you can clear a
higher bar with your center of
mass at the same height.
Sources:
Coachr.org

Limestone.on.ca

Engaged-brains.wikispaces.com

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RaGUW1d0w8g
Thank
you!