Whack that baseball!
When you hit a baseball, speed, angle and air resistance all affect how far it
travels. Balls hit too low quickly return to Earth; balls hit too high travel
a long way vertically, but not far horizontally. Can you find the "sweet spot"
where horizontal travel is greatest. Can you find the best angle?
Air resistance absorbs kinetic energy from the ball, slowing it. A slow-moving ball has less travel time before gravity pulls it back to Earth. Change air resistance by choosing a different stadium location.
More, much more, on the science of baseball.
Applet and illustrations copyright (C) 2003 Tom Whittaker, S.V. Medaris, and Steve Ackerman. The Motion-W® and Bucky Badger® logos are trademarks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
