The Physics of Bobsledding

Winning a bobsled race starts long before the pushoff stretch it starts with the design of a fast, efficient bobsled. A good bobsled has to take advantage of the physical forces that help it accelerate, and it has to minimize the forces that slow it down. Acceleration due to gravity is the same for all of the bobsleds in the race its the physical constant of 9.8 meters per second squared. Drag, friction, and momentum, on the other hand, all vary based on bobsled design and can affect how much the bob actually accelerates. The strongest, fastest, most skilled team in the world cannot compensate for a bob design that ignores these factors.