From Scientific American
Haché brings to this informative study the perspective of a physicist (he is assistant professor of physics at the University of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada) and amateur hockey player (goalie). He stints on neither the physics, which he presents clearly, nor the hockey, making the reader feel like going to a game. Hockey, he says, perhaps involves more physics than any other sport. "Because it is played on ice, we need to take into account elements of thermodynamics and molecular physics. Skating makes use of a great deal of mechanics, as does shooting. Puck trajectories are influenced by air drag and ice friction, which involve fluid dynamics. And because hockey is a contact sport, the physics of collisions is also part of the game." After chapters on the ice and aspects of play, Haché considers the game as a whole and offers a betting tip: "Bet on the team that is in the middle of a losing streak (or against the team that seems to be on a roll)."
Editors of Scientific American
From Book News, Inc.
Aimed at hockey fans, this text uses plain language to describe the physical principles involved in the sport. Physicist and amateur hockey goalie Hache (U. de Moncton, Canada) explains, among other topics, the biomechanics of skating, why ice is slippery, and why a slap shot is the fastest way to move the puck a long distance. The volume features photos of hockey players along with diagrams illustrating the principles discussed.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Review
"Enjoyable to read... All aspects of the game are investigated and the mathematics are easy to follow."-- Physics Teacher
Review
"This is a book every hockey player needs and every hockey fan will love. Well written, complete and thoroughly enjoyable, it's a book you won't want to pass up."--Barry Parker, author of Einstein's Brainchild and Chaos in the Cosmos
Book Description
What do Wayne Gretzky and thermodynamics have in common? A lot more than you might think. The game the National Hockey League calls " the coolest game on earth" is also a fast-paced, dynamic display of physics in action.In The Physics of Hockey, physicist and amateur hockey player Alain Haché examines some of the physical principles behind the world's most popular winter team sport. What makes ice so slippery you can skate on it? How can you skate backwards most rapidly? How can physics improve your slapshot? Why do some collisions cause injuries but not others? How does a Zamboni work? And how do you prepare a pure, smooth ice surface in Dallas when it's 90 degrees outside and there are twenty thousand people inside?This is physics by a hockey fan for the hockey fan. Haché investigates the properties of the ice surface, the science of skating and of skates, the odds of winning and losing streaks, and the principles behind shooting, hitting, and goaltending. Touching on topics such as solid-state physics, statistical physics elasticity, probability, thermodynamics, and mechanics, Haché uses science to enhance our appreciation and understanding of the game. The book is illustrated with photos and graphs and punctuated with anecdotes to show how famous players, past and present, are really physicists on skates.A thought-provoking, fun, and gentle introduction to some basic issues in physics, The Physics of Hockey is a truly unique book worthy of the shelf of every hockey fan and physics enthusiast.
About the Author
Alain Haché is an assistant professor of physics at the Université de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
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