Question

Intuition might tell us that rough surfaces on clothing would inhibit the speed of an Olympic athlete. Why is this line of thinking not true in some cases? How can controlled roughness actually promote speed? Write a paragraph that is about 100 words long.

Answer 1

People might think that clothing with rough surfaces slows down movement because the rough parts trap air. That's not always the case. By controlling the amount of roughness, it’s possible to allow air to pass more easily over the fabric. The shape of a golf ball is based on this idea: the dimples on its surface make the air spin in small circles, like mini vortexes. These spinning circles of air act like ball bearings in a machine. The overall effect is that the ball can move more easily through the air, so it flies a greater distance. In the same way, the grooves on athletes' clothing also allow smoother movement through the air.

Answer 2

Intuition might tell us that rough surfaces on clothing would inhibit the speed of an Olympic athlete. It is not true in some cases because rough clothing could not inhibit the performance of an athlete. If the athlete however had the experience first hand while during practice, in wearing such rough outfits then it would not inhibit his performance during his competition. But, if during the competition, he suddenly had to wear a smooth clothing, then he would have a hard time dealing with it during his competition because it is not the one that he had his practice on. So in short, it all boils down on how people adapt to these things and how well they can execute certain things that are not common to everybody. Maybe for some, if they had the time to practice using smooth clothing then it would not be a problem with promoting with their speed.