If a diver goes from a tucked position to a full layout position, what will happen to her angular velocity?

When a diver transitions from a tucked position to a full layout position, her angular velocity decreases. This phenomenon can be understood through the conservation of angular momentum, which states that in the absence of external torques, the total angular momentum of a system remains constant.

In a tucked position, the diver has a smaller moment of inertia because her body is compact and closer to the rotational axis. When she extends into a full layout position, her moment of inertia increases since her mass is distributed further from that axis of rotation. According to the conservation of angular momentum, if the moment of inertia increases, the angular velocity must decrease to keep the product of moment of inertia and angular velocity constant.

Thus, as the diver moves into a full layout position while conserving angular momentum, her angular velocity decreases. This is a fundamental principle in biomechanics and relates directly to how body positioning affects movement dynamics during rotational actions.