Re: pinhole Car on Ice

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From: Steven Eiger (eiger@montana.edu)
Date: Sun Nov 12 2000 - 12:57:17 PST 

Message-Id: <l03102802b634b381a8da@[153.90.150.107]>
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 13:57:17 -0700
From: Steven Eiger <eiger@montana.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole Car on Ice

>What is the advantage (if there is one) of the shape of the blade on ice
>skates, then? With the traditional explanation, it was that the entire
>weight of the body was consolidated onto one thin edge (and you can really
>feel it through the soles of your feet) but, if you don't need the
>pressure to melt the ice, is the current skate design the best? What
>would work better and why?
>
>My guess is that the sharp blade allows the skater to cut through the
>liquid surface water to the ice to gain a foothold for thrust. The
>forward foot which is gliding could be flatter. Skate skis certainly work
>well for gliding, even on ice, they would not be as good for thrust
>however, unless they had metal edges. One could imagine a pair of skates
>designed with a wider edge for gliding, on the heel for example, and a
>thinner edge forward for thrust. Eiger

Steven Eiger, Ph.D.

Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience and the WWAMI Medical Education
Program
PO Box 173148
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT 59717-3148

Voice: (406) 994-5672
E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
FAX: (406) 994-7077

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