The pole vault is one of the most unusual and exciting events track and field. A pole-vaulter runs with a long pole, plants it in the ground and uses it to lift himself over a horizontal bar. A pole-vaulter needs speed, strength and nerve along with confidence in his equipment. Physics also plays a large role in a successful vault.
History
Although the pole vault was not part of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, archaeologists have found evidence of vaulting from artifacts in ancient Egypt, France and Ireland. The pole vault was a part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The gold medalist that year jumped 3.30 meters. The evolution of equipment, from wooden and bamboo poles to fiberglass in the middle of the 20th century, has allowed vaulters to reach much greater heights.
Energy Conversion
According to the American Institute of Physics, the pole vault is an example of one type of energy being converted into another type of energy. A vaulter creates energy as she races down the track. This energy of motion, called kinetic energy, generates power that is transferred into the energy required to propel the vaulter into the air, called potential energy. The more speed an athlete can generate, the more energy she can convert into the jump.
Kinetic Energy
An article by Adam Weiner in Popular Science explains that the kinetic energy generated by a vaulter's sprint to the bar is converted into potential energy thanks to the flexibility of the pole. When a vaulter drives his pole into the pole's planting box, the pole bends and the kinetic energy used to move the vaulter forward is converted to energy to propel him into the air.
Potential Energy
When the pole is planted and bends, it is storing the kinetic energy that was built up as the vaulter sprinted toward the bar. This is potential energy, the energy that will be used to send the vaulter upwards. The potential energy is converted once again into kinetic energy as the vaulter rises upward. At the top of his vault, the energy is converted into gravitational potential energy as the vaulter attempts to clear the bar.
Strain Energy
The athletic ability of the vaulter also plays a role in his ability to clear the bar. As he plants his pole in the box the vaulter's strength helps to bend the pole and create strain energy. The greater strain energy an athlete can place on the pole, the greater potential energy is stored. Modern fiberglass poles allow vaulters the greatest chance to place strain energy on a pole without breaking.
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