During sprint start, peak starting force can exceed 1,500 newtons and impulse can exceed 230 newton-seconds, respectively.

During sprint start, peak starting force can exceed 1,500 newtons and impulse can exceed 230 newton-seconds, respectively.

• A. 1,500 newtons and 230 newton-seconds
• B. 1,200 newtons and 200 newton-seconds
• C. 2,000 newtons and 300 newton-seconds
• D. 1,000 newtons and 150 newton-seconds

Answer: (A)

In a sprint start, the body pushes explosively against the ground, so the peak starting force is the highest ground reaction force reached during that initial push. The impulse is the force applied over the short contact time with the track, which translates into the change in momentum and the initial acceleration of the sprinter. Measurements of sprint starts show that peak forces can exceed about 1,500 newtons and the impulse during that brief push can be around 230 newton-seconds or more. The numbers in the correct option reflect these observed maxima, making it the best match for what athletes can produce in a sprint start. For perspective, if the contact time is roughly 0.15 seconds, a peak force near 1,500 N yields an impulse near 225 N·s, which aligns with the stated value of 230 N·s when the force curve rises above the average during the push. The other options fall short or exceed typical ranges and thus don’t align with common sprint-start data.

In a sprint start, the body pushes explosively against the ground, so the peak starting force is the highest ground reaction force reached during that initial push. The impulse is the force applied over the short contact time with the track, which translates into the change in momentum and the initial acceleration of the sprinter.

Measurements of sprint starts show that peak forces can exceed about 1,500 newtons and the impulse during that brief push can be around 230 newton-seconds or more. The numbers in the correct option reflect these observed maxima, making it the best match for what athletes can produce in a sprint start. For perspective, if the contact time is roughly 0.15 seconds, a peak force near 1,500 N yields an impulse near 225 N·s, which aligns with the stated value of 230 N·s when the force curve rises above the average during the push. The other options fall short or exceed typical ranges and thus don’t align with common sprint-start data.