I appreciate how this article explained the mathematical basis behind everyday rowing practices. For instance, I knew that oars push water back to move the boat forward, but using Newton’s Third Law and the momentum equation to explain this seemingly simple concept was intriguing. In the same way, I knew that rowers slid back in the boat while the boat moved forwards, but the center of mass equation further confirmed this observation by emphasizing how each movement has an equal and opposite reaction.
Next, I learnt that to double the speed of a boat, you would need to apply eight times more power, a phenomenon proved by the equation P= a.v^3. However, I was initially confused with how it would take less energy to move a large amount of water than a small amount of water quickly. But then I realized that in both situations, time does not have to be constant, so although it takes more time to move more water slowly, the energy is spread out across more time. I also realized why a constant speed is so essential in a race, because it takes more energy to slow down and speed up again. In addition, I learnt that it is easier to balance a moving boat because the moving oars and fin both stabilize the boat. Lastly, sections 7 and 8 went a bit over my head, but I was able to grasp that oars worked as levers.