Science at the Games

Big Board Game— Science at the Games

Text history: Written by Jonathan Aguilar, June 28, 2012 Re-worked and addition by Catherine Emond, July 12, 2012

1. Where do sailboats get their power? a. The sailors get out and push. b. The wind blows their sails. (correct) c. Sailing is too hard; let’s just use motor boats.

2. Olympic cyclists use their pedals to push themselves forward. A pedal is what kind of simple machine? a. A screw b. A nuclear power plant c. A lever (correct)

3. When might it be slower to use a bicycle than to walk? a. When going uphill (correct) b. When going downhill c. Never, a bike is always faster.

4. Which of these sports were NOT in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896? a. Athletics/Track and Field b. Shooting c. Tae Kwon Do (correct)

5. What skill does a gymnast walking on beam and a cyclist on his bicycle have in common? a. They both have a great balance b. They are both good at jumping c. They are both great at climbing

6. Name an Olympic sport that uses levers. Hint: they are pieces of equipment used to propel yourself or something forward. a. Acceptable answers: rowing, canoeing/kayaking, hockey, badminton, high jump, golf, tennis, cycling.

7. What source of energy is used by athletes? a. Food, they have a good nutrition b. Sun, they go tanning in the sun each day c. Hydro-electricity, this is why athlete have a shower after each performance 8. What force slows down a swimmer? a. Gravity (which pulls the swimmer to the bottom of the swimming pool) b. Centrifugal force (which makes the swimmer spins in circle) c. Resistance of the water (which acts like friction)

9. Why do athletes, such as sprinters and cyclists, wear tight bodysuits instead of baggy t-shirts and jeans? a. To be more aerodynamics and go faster b. To look cool c. To be distinguishable amongst fellow athletes

10. Yes or no. Is a soccer ball a perfect round shape? (have a picture to show)

11. A triathlon is a multi-sport event which involves three sports: swimming, cycling, and running. What geometrical shape has three sides and starts with the sound TRI? (triangle).

12. In badminton, which of these could NOT influence the trajectory of the shuttlecock trajectory? a. The force at which the shuttlecock was hit by the racket b. The wind c. The shuttlecock colour

HARDER QUESTIONS for older participants

13. Why is being small helpful for a gymnast? a. Having less body weight makes it easier to throw themselves high into the air. (correct) b. Judges are more sympathetic towards small people. c. It makes it easier to pack for traveling.

14. In tennis, the racquet acts like a lever that the player uses to hit the ball. What is the fulcrum, and where is the other side of the lever? a. The fulcrum is the shoulder, the rest of the lever is the rest of the player’s body. (correct) b. The fulcrum is the wrist, the rest of the lever is the arm. c. The fulcrum is the feet, and the rest of the lever is the ground.

15. Why do you think levers are so popular in sports? a. Open ended, but should include something about allowing players to apply more force. 16. How does pulling a bowstring back help archers? a. They load the string with potential energy that is released and transferred to the arrow (kinetic energy) when they let go. (correct) b. It gives the arrow more room to fly. c. It makes the archers look cool.

17. Which of these Olympic sports uses the third law of Newton (for every action, there is an equal and equal reaction)? a. Fencing b. Boxing c. Trampoline

CHANCE 1. You’ve been chosen to swim the 100m freestyle for Canada! Show us your best stroke and go forward 1 space! 2. You win the long jump! Jump forward 2 spaces. 3. Oh no! You forgot to bring your boat for the rowing event. Go back 2 spaces. 4. You are the coach for the 2012 Canadian Equestrian team. Show them how to ride a horse and move forward one space! 5. You have a mean right hook, mimic boxing and move forward 2 spaces 6. The other basketball team has the ball, go back one space. 7. He shoots, he scores. Your field hockey team is in the lead, show us your slap shot and move forward one space.