Most people know that rock climbing is one of the most physically demanding and most dangerous sport on the planet. what most people don't know is that it also requires a tremendous knowledge of physics. this knowledge is typically not learned from a text book, however it is without a doubt most certainly there. Physics of climbing is mostly based on one cold hard factor, gravity. Different climbs certainly have various challenges and hurtles, however what it always comes down to is Gravity. although gravity affects every aspect of climbing tremendously we are just going to focus on three here and now. The three that we will go through are the Pressure associated with climbing, the tensile forces, and opposing forces (pushing in the case of climbing). these three will be discussed with more depth through the links above, however for now here are a few short summary's.
Pressure
Pressure in physics is usually seen as how much force an
inanimate object places on the floor, or on another object.
you also see lots of examples of water pressure. in
climbing it is however quite a bit harder to quantify.
What it comes down to is how much force the climbers
causes over the surface area of the fingers or hands
touching the rocks. There are some examples of Pressure and
a more in depth summary of it and its affect on climbers
through the links above.Tension
Tension, in climbing is something that actually helps
climbers. it keeps them on the rock face or wall. and
generally can even be considered a resting position. once
more Tension is discussed in greater detail and with
examples through one of the links above.
Opposing Forces
opposing forces are one of the most interesting concepts
in climbing and one of the hardest things for new climbers
to understand or appreciate. essentially they are
typically pushes in opposite directions, used in order to
fight the force of gravity and keep the climber suspended
above the ground. As with pressure and Tension, opposing
forces will be explored in greater detail through the
links above.