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The
physics
of
a
tackle
in football, entails two bodies in motion that want to
continue in motion but are acted upon by an outside force (Newtons
1st Law of Motion). These conflicting forces are
often times so great that it has been known to break bones, cause
concussions,
and in rare circumstances result in death. It takes a toll on the body.
In
order to calculate the force enacted by the collision, the below
formula is
needed.
(Newton’s Second Law) Force =
mass*acceleration
If
the
bodies
are
in
opposite directions then the total force is calculated by
adding them together. If the bodies are traveling in the same direction
the net
force is calculated by subtracting the forces from one another.
The
impact
of
the
player
on the ground can also be added into the overall impact
the body takes in the collision, by Newton’s
Third Law, which entails that every reaction has an equal and
opposite
reaction. The ground exerts the same force on the player as the player
exerts
on the ground. By the time you add in the force of impact with the
player on
player contact and the force of the players on the ground, this amounts
to a
significant force on the body. This is why players wear padding which
is made
with numerous 90 degree angles on them. This causes the force of the
impact to
not be focused on a particular area and instead is deflected throughout
the
padding to various parts of the body. Resulting in a lesser impact on a
players
immediate body. The ideas applied to tackling are similar in sense to
those in
blocking.