The Physics of Hockey

Book Description

What do Wayne Gretzky and thermodynamics have in common? A lot more than you might think. The game the National Hockey League calls " the coolest game on earth" is also a fast-paced, dynamic display of physics in action.

In The Physics of Hockey, physicist and amateur hockey player Alain Haché examines some of the physical principles behind the world's most popular winter team sport. What makes ice so slippery you can skate on it? How can you skate backwards most rapidly? How can physics improve your slapshot? Why do some collisions cause injuries but not others? How does a Zamboni work? And how do you prepare a pure, smooth ice surface in Dallas when it's 90 degrees outside and there are twenty thousand people inside?

This is physics by a hockey fan for the hockey fan. Haché investigates the properties of the ice surface, the science of skating and of skates, the odds of winning and losing streaks, and the principles behind shooting, hitting, and goaltending. Touching on topics such as solid-state physics, statistical physics elasticity, probability, thermodynamics, and mechanics, Haché uses science to enhance our appreciation and understanding of the game. The book is illustrated with photos and graphs and punctuated with anecdotes to show how famous players, past and present, are really physicists on skates.

A thought-provoking, fun, and gentle introduction to some basic issues in physics, The Physics of Hockey is a truly unique book worthy of the shelf of every hockey fan and physics enthusiast.

Customer Reviews:

INSIDE HOCKEY Book Review.......2003-05-08

Alain Haché's The Physics of Hockey an extremely interesting book. As fans, we watch NHL players do some pretty incredible things, but don't really understand how they do them. Mr Haché uses his tremendous knowledge of physics to explain "how hockey happens".

The book explains just about every imaginable aspect of ice hockey. It explains how the ice rink is created and maintained. It tells us why players skate the way they do, why goalies move the way they do, why the players manipulate their sticks in certain ways, why the bodily protection is needed and how it works and how the game generally proceeds.

Haché's style is quite readable, though the idea of applying physics to hockey seems on the surface to be dry. He clearly loves the game and that comes through in his writing. He is both a scientist and a player, and he skillfully combines both of these talents in one very well-written volume.

For a scientist the book is much more meaningful; however, the book has plenty to offer for non-technical hockey fans. The book mixes very technical analyses and diagrams demonstrating physical principles with very down-to-earth prose that general hockey fans should gain a lot from and really enjoy.

The book's one flaw is the way in which the content was organized. The book starts off with a lot of scientific content before moving into the down-to-earth, non-technical prose. In fact, the first topic treated, the physics of the ice itself, is so esoteric, that even I, an engineer, was almost discouraged from moving past it. I was glad I made it through.

If there's a second edition, I suggest that Haché revise the structure of the book. He should write a version that deals with the physics in a way that demonstrates principles without detailed equations and diagrams. Then he should complete each chapter or section with his more technical treatment of each topic, which the non-technical person can bypass without really losing anything in the translation.

The physics is mainly what is called "mechanics". It involves the forces on skates that propel the players and the effects of friction with the ice. It also explains the movement of a puck, both sliding on ice and soaring through the air, and the impact of players on each other or on the boards in body contact. Haché also discusses ice quality and how it affects the play, and how the design of hockey skates achieves maximum usefulness. We also learn how figure skates and speed skates differ from hockey skates.

The difficulty of getting a puck past a goalie is explained in diagrams showing the effective open area of the net, why a goalie moves as he does in order to minimize this area, and why his equipment is designed as it is. Lots of interesting statistics are presented, such as typical puck speeds, both in standard shooting and slap shots, skating speeds and acceleration rates, and sizes of hockey players as it affects their play. The explanation of how a Zamboni works and what ice maintenance is about in general is also extremely interesting.

The Physics of Hockey is an excellent book. Alain Haché's explanations are current (using many current NHL stars) and very interesting (most hockey fans really have no idea how everything happens on the ice from a scientific standpoint). This is a very engaging book for a technical person, but I think Haché missed an opportunity to achieve a broader appeal with a somewhat different organization of the material.

Brillaintly Written, Fun Applied Science.......2003-01-24

If you like ice hockey and got a B or better in high school physics (and you remember how it happened), this book is a must-have.

Alain Haché is an amateur-league goalie, and a professional physicist. His book analyses all aspects of the game, from the coefficient of friction of ice at different temperatures to the effects of air and gravity on a flying puck after a slapshot.

The book includes references to hockey biographies, medical and physiological papers, and player technique books like "Speed on Skates".

Some reviewers might fault the book for not explaining hockey with only physics; the author uses statistics (to explain witing and losing streaks), and geometry (to explain why goalies come out of the net) in his analysis.

Book Description

The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers is a unique and valuable resource for historians and astronomers alike. The two volumes include approximately 1550 biographical sketches on astronomers from antiquity to modern times. It is the collective work of about 400 authors edited by an editorial board of 9 historians and astronomers, and provides additional details on the nature of an entry and some summary statistics on the content of entries.

This new resource for historians, astronomers, and the interested public provides biographical information even on the next generation of astronomers, going beyond existing references, and enhances the information on earlier periods by including many more astronomers and by utilizing contemporary historical scholarship.

Individual entries vary from 100 to 1500 words, including the likes of the superluminaries such as Newton and Einstein, as well as lesser-known astronomers like Galileo's acolyte, Mario Guiducci.

An Appendix of Countries enables researchers to locate astronomers by country, and a comprehensive subject index helps researchers to identify the authors of important scientific topics and treatises.

The Book of the Moon: A Lunar Introduction to Astronomy, Geology, Space Physics, and Space Travel (Frontiers of Science)

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The Book of the Moon: A Lunar Introduction to Astronomy, Geology, Space Physics, and Space Travel (Frontiers of Science)
Thomas A. Hockey
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Galileo's Planet: Observing Jupiter Before Photography

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Galileo's Planet: Observing Jupiter Before Photography
Thomas A Hockey
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Since the earliest times one of the brightest lights in the heavens has been that of Jupiter, mythical king of the gods and the largest planet in the solar system. It was only natural that peoples from the dawn of history would be interested in such a planet and, indeed, Jupiter was one of the first objects to be observed with the telescope. Even today Jupiter captures the public interest like no other planet: a vast gaseous world, home to violent storms (larger than the Earth) that have raged for centuries. Galileo's Planet: Observing Jupiter before Photography presents the history of humankind's quest to understand the giant planet in the era before photography, a time when the only way to observe the universe was with the human eye. The book provides a comprehensive and fascinating account of the people involved in this quest, their observations, and the results of their findings. Many of the planetary features studied in detail by today's space probes were once glimpsed by keen-eyed, amateur astronomers. These Earth-bound explorers made up for their modest instruments and viewing conditions with their patience, perseverance, and passion for the night sky. Their greatest challenge was the fifth planet from the Sun and the search for its imagined surface-a revelation of the "real Jupiter." In the process, these part-time observers redefined the meaning of the word "planet." The book recounts their story from the earliest times right up until the invention of the camera.

Properties of nanostructured hydroxyapatite prepared by a spray drying technique.: An article from: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Properties of nanostructured hydroxyapatite prepared by a spray drying technique.: An article from: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Laurence C. Chow , Limin Sun , and Bernard Hockey
Manufacturer: National Institute of Standards and Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, published by National Institute of Standards and Technology on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 4822 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Properties of nanostructured hydroxyapatite prepared by a spray drying technique.
Author: Laurence C. Chow
Publication: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Volume: 109 Issue: 6 Page: 543(9)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Una novela sencilla e interesante, para todo lector.......2002-01-23

Ésta es una novela corta, cuya narración se mete en los detalles de las situaciones, pero no aburre al lector, por el contrario lo hace interesarse en la historia.

La historia es sobre un viejo pescador que está en un periodo de mala suerte y sale a pescar. Durante el tiempo que dura la pesca muestra las bellezas y peligros del mar, reflexiona sobre el hombre y su parecido y diferencias con criaturas marinas, enseña que cada persona es producto de su pasado y así sucesivamente.

Es una novela sin sobresaltos, para que chicos y grandes la disfruten.

un cuento hermoso.......2000-06-20

un cuento hermoso, escrito con la parquedad de palabras que caracteriza a Hemingway, con sus oraciones cortas y concisas, con su estilo de periodista puesto al servicio de la novelistica. este cuento trata sobre la busqueda, esa interna busqueda del ser humano, esa agonia por poseer, conquistar, domar, por no ser vencido por el inexorable paso de los anos y la muerte. esto es lo que impulsa a santiago a la pesca todos los dias. no se porque, pero esta historia me recuerda mucho a moby dick, aunque aqui la busqueda sea diferente muy recomendado. LUIS MENDEZ

El Viejo Y El Mar / the Old Man And the Sea (Contempora)

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El Viejo Y El Mar / the Old Man And the Sea (Contempora)
Ernest Hemingway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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El Viejo Y El Mar
Ernest Hemingway
Manufacturer: Debolsillo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9871138636

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Analisis De El Viejo Y El Mar
Eduardo Vanegas
Manufacturer: Panamericana Editorial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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El viejo mundo-- y otra vez el mar: Recuerdos de viajes y de teatro

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El viejo mundo-- y otra vez el mar: Recuerdos de viajes y de teatro
Carlos Miguel Suarez Radillo
Manufacturer: SLUSA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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El Viejo Y El Mar
Ernest Hemingway
Manufacturer: Debate Editorial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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El Viejo Y El Mar
Ernest Hemingway
Manufacturer: Editorial Selecciones
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

This is the Spanish version of The Old Man and the Sea.

El Viejo Y El Mar / the Old Man And the Sea

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El Viejo Y El Mar / the Old Man And the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
Manufacturer: Planeta Pub Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

El Viejo y el Mar de Ernest Hemingway: Dos Comentarios Analíticos (Serie Pórtico: Estudio y Crítica)

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El Viejo y el Mar de Ernest Hemingway: Dos Comentarios Analíticos (Serie Pórtico: Estudio y Crítica)

Manufacturer: Monarch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0671080806

Product Description

Un profesor universitario norteamericano y un ensayista español, ambos expertos en la literatura hemingweiana, examinan la vida y la obra del autor, su estructura y estilo, en dos profundos estudios del libro cuyo tema principal es el imperecedero espíritu humano en lucha contra la adversidad.

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