Physics is an everyday part of our lives that controls how objects move through space over time. The laws of physics even apply to a fast-paced sport like tennis. Three physics concepts that apply readily to the sport are Newton's laws of motion, which is a set of three rules that govern the principles of motion. Understanding these principles of motion can be useful for improving your efficiency on the court.
Development
Sir Isaac Newton graduated from Cambridge in 1665, but left the university grounds shortly after for two years because of the plague. It was during this two-year span that Newton began to make profound developments in mathematics and science, first formulating his laws of motion. In 1687, Newton published his "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica," which contains his three laws of motion and is one of the most important works in modern science.
First Law
Newton's first law of motion states that any object that is moving will continue moving unless an external force is applied to stop it from moving. Within the game of tennis, this concept is easily seen every time a player hits the ball. Once the ball is moving from the strike of the racket, its forward trajectory would continue indefinitely if the forces of gravity, friction from the air resistance or striking the ground and the force of the opposing player's racket did not stop it.
Second Law
The second law of motion states that force equals mass times acceleration. Acceleration is a measurement of how fast a ball is gaining speed, rather than how fast it is going. In the world of tennis, you can apply Newton's second law to a service. During your serve, the mass of the tennis ball remains constant. Therefore, you can see in this equation that the more force you apply to the constant mass of the tennis ball on the serve, the greater the acceleration of that serve will be until it reaches its top speed.
Third Law
The final of Newton's laws of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. One example of this law in a tennis match is when a player winds up for a powerful forehand. The player twists his torso away from the ball as it comes toward him, and then quickly turns the racket in the opposite direction with equal force. The more force the player applies in the initial twist, the more force he can exert on the ball for the forehand shot.
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