Want To Know Why Curling Is Cool?

Santa Clara University Professor Phil Kesten explains the fascinating physics behind the sport of curling. Make sure to watch team USA compete in curling during the 2014 Sochi Olympics! #Sochi2014 #Curling

Is this you when curling is the only Olympic event on TV?

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What if I told you that curling is actually really cool?

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'Why is curling cool?' you ask.

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Um, because SCIENCE!!!!

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That's why.

Off the ice rink, friction would cause an object like this glass to curl in the opposite direction of the spin.

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If you slid a glass across a table and gave it a spin, the glass will turn in the opposite direction of the spin. This is because as it is going forward, the leading edge holds the most friction because it's tipping forward. Also there is friction forming in the direction that it's spinning causing it to curl in the opposite direction.

But in curling, the stone curls in the same direction as the spin.

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Say whaaaaaat?!

And it's all because of the ice.

When the curling stone spins, it's slightly melting the ice underneath it. That melted ice re-freezes on the back side, which makes the frictional force on the back side of the curling stone greater than it is on the front side.

Is your mind totally blown, right now?

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No? Then keep reading and prepare your mind for maximum explosion.

There's this thing called the drag effect.

When one stone hits another, the second stone will continue traveling on the path of the first stone. But when two stones are touching, or "frozen", the first stone drags the second one along with it and it changes the direction of the second one.

Then there's those crazy sweepers!

The sweepers use brooms to heat the ice up just enough to create a thin layer of water. That thin layer of water decreases the friction. Sweeping can help the stone go 10 to 20 feet further.

And all this time you thought brooms were just for cleaning!

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Didn't quite catch all of that? It's ok- Watch this!

Let us know what you think on twitter @SantaClaraUniv ! Special thanks to the Bay Area Curling Club and Shark's Ice in San Jose.