Rowing has been around for centuries. While it originated as a form of punishment, it has developed into a very competitive sport perfect for the tall and vertically challenged. Similar to everything in life, physics is very important to rowing. Part of being a competitive team is understanding the physics of rowing and how to use physics to make your boat go faster.
In a boat there can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 9 people together in a row. The rowers work to make the boat go faster by using their oars. The blades at the end of the oars go into the water and are used to propel the boat forward. In each stroke Newton's law is applied between the blade and the water. The blade applies a force onto the water to push the water towards the back of the boat and to also move the boat forward. The water applies an equal and opposite force onto the blade, pushing the blade towards the front of the boat and resisting the movement of the blade through the water. This interaction can be easily visualized by the oar shaft. The shaft of the oar is not in the water, and can bend during the stroke. The force of the water on the blade creates this bend. The bend of the oar creates a tension force which also helps propel the boat forward.
In a boat there can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 9 people together in a row. The rowers work to make the boat go faster by using their oars. The blades at the end of the oars go into the water and are used to propel the boat forward. In each stroke Newton's law is applied between the blade and the water. The blade applies a force onto the water to push the water towards the back of the boat and to also move the boat forward. The water applies an equal and opposite force onto the blade, pushing the blade towards the front of the boat and resisting the movement of the blade through the water. This interaction can be easily visualized by the oar shaft. The shaft of the oar is not in the water, and can bend during the stroke. The force of the water on the blade creates this bend. The bend of the oar creates a tension force which also helps propel the boat forward.
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| Image 1: The rower faces the back of the boat, so in this photo the front (bow) is to the left and the back (stern) is to the right. |
As a coxswain I am in charge of steering the boat while also providing technical feedback and motivation during practices and races. Steering the boat is much different from steering a car. Each boat has a rudder which consists of a stationary fin and a small usually rectangular fin that can move with a string. The direction the rudder moves dictates which way the boat will turn. The rudder can either be very quick to turn or very slow, and sometimes it can depend on who's in the boat. If you put eight lightweight men into an eight and turn the rudder a certain amount, the acceleration of the turn will be quicker as compared to a boat full of heavyweight men. This is indicative of the formula for force: F=ma. Since force is constant and mass is changing, the acceleration has a negative correlation to the mass. Using the rudder is great but it creates drag, which slows us down. So how do I steer without using the one steering mechanism I have? I have the rowers help me out. Increasing pressure on one side of the boat acts as a type of force to push the boat to the opposite side. Thus I can use my rowers to help me get a point without slowing us down with the rudder.
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| Image 2: This is what an 8 person boat looks like. All the rowers face the back and the coxswain (me) faces the front. This is what Lake Moraine looks like at 6am practice. |
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