B2 Sport-specifi c equipment


Technology impacts the way that sport equipment is made. It impacts in two main ways: • the development of new materials • new design and engineering ideas. Most updates are a combination of both.


New materials


New materials continue to be developed by scientists. Engineers who make sports equipment are looking for materials that are light yet strong.


Materials that combine these two things are used to make modern sports equipment.


Tennis rackets • Originally frames were made from wood…


• …but these were replaced with aluminium frames….


• …which were then replaced by modern graphite frames. This is because graphite is lighter and stronger than aluminium.


• As a result, modern tennis rackets can generate more power than older rackets – meaning that serves and other strokes are more powerful.


Racing bikes


Modern racing bikes are made of exotic materials such as carbon fi bre.


• Carbon fi bre is an example of a composite. A composite is a mixture of two or more separate materials.


• Modern composite materials are very light and strong. Carbon fi bre is fi ve times stronger than steel but much lighter.


• A carbon-fi bre racing bike is very light, which means it takes less eff ort to ride fast. This benefi ts performance.


Formula 1 racing cars are also made of carbon fi bre.


38


Intro


Can you name the material that footballs used to be made of?


composite: something made of two separate materials


Component 1


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