By Katherine Gallego
There's a reason to why we are able to reach high speeds as we go down a hill. This weekend, I rode my bike and I was over joyed every time I encountered a steep hill. As I went down the hill, I noticed my body shift into a forward position but didn't understand why I did so. I later figured out, the position of me leaning forward slowed down my center of gravity which provided more stability in equilibrium. Also, when leaning forward there was less air resistance and less surface area of my body leaning down hilled. Good to keep in mine next time you guys decide to go biking!
Yes -- as you go down the hill you speed up. And, by ducking lower you decrease the air resistance and go even faster! This will make more sense as we learn about energy, but you're already making great observations.
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