FreeConner KellyAward: Top 100
School: cherry creek high school This dynamic moment freezes the instant just after a collision between two soccer players, perfectly illustrating Newtonian physics in action. The creek player (white) is airborne after a trip, demonstrating Newton's first law - an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force. With no longer any support from the ground, the payer is in free fall, influenced only by gravity and air resistance, until contact with the ground and friction slows him to a stop. Newton's second law is also at work: the Broomfield player (blue), having initiated the slide tackle, is slowing down due to friction from the grass. His deceleration reflects the equation F=ma, where the force due to friction acts opposite his motion and thus reduces his velocity. The soccer ball to the right is in motion and slightly lifted from the ground, maintaining its path until another force, perhaps friction or a player, acts upon it. This further highlights the laws of inertia and acceleration in play across multiple objects in a single frame. Lastly, this image was captures at 1/1000 of a second, a fast shutter speed that minimizes motion blur. This setting allows us to analyze a high-speed event, too fast for the naked eye, with stunning clarity, revealing the hidden physics behind sports action. 
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