Ice Skating is Fun!

During this Christmas break, my friends and I decided to go ice skating. We went to Cranston Veteran's Memorial Ice Rink to avoid ice skating in sub zero temperatures in Providence. There were so many great opportunities to show physics in the real world. Unfortunately we were not the best skaters there. For example here is a video of my friend Ryan trying to pick up some speed and my friend Courtney trying to skate in a circle.

Of course there were hockey players and figure skaters showing off their moves. So I made a new friend and had him skate in a circle so I could find some forces acting on him. 

Assuming this boy, I'll call him Joe, is 60 kg and the radius is 4.972 meters we can find the friction. So first I made a free body diagram.  

∑Fx = f = mv^2/r

∑Fy = N - mg = 0

So substituting μN for f, μN = mv^2/r

v = distance / time

v = (2)(pi)(4.972) / 5.9

v = 1.06 m/s

μ = (60*1.06^2/4.972)/60*9.8

μ = 13.559/588

μ = 0.023

friction = 0.023* 588

friction = 13.524 N

A special thanks to my friends Mansi, Courtney, Julia, Eve, Nate, and Ryan for joining my on this adventure of ice skating.