Technology news and Jobs 
Science Pop-ups in baseball not that easy to catch: It’s the physics!
Science Pop-ups in baseball not that easy to catch: It’s the physics! | Pop-ups in baseball not that easy to catch: It’s the physics! |
|
| by William Atkins | |
| Friday, 18 April 2008 | |
|
Page 2 of 2 Alan M. Nathan is from the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign, Illinois) and Terry Bahill is from the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona). Scientists, like Nathan and Bahill, contend that humans are able to easily (in most cases) predict the effects of gravity on baseballs and other balls (they go up and out, and then they come down) as the balls fly in a parabolic path. However, humans have more difficulties judging balls with extra spin on them, especially with air resistance causing the ball to do all sorts of strange things. Can you image if high winds are also introduced into the ballpark? Read more about the physics of baseball at: “The Physics of Baseball” (obviously a Red Sox fan!) “Physics of Baseball" (The Sweet Spot) “The Physics Behind Baseball” (looks like another Boston fan!)
Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now
|
Tags
| < Next story in category | Previous story in the category > |
|---|
