Abstract
The sight of a baseball or softball flying through the air evokes different responses in different people. If the ball is headed toward the batter then the batter will be frantically trying to figure out what the ball is doing and where it is going. If the ball is headed toward one of the bases then the player running to that base will be wondering whether he will make it in time. If the ball is headed toward the fence then some of the spectators will be cheering and some will be moaning. These are the sorts of emotional reactions that make the game what it is. It is the combined effect of the importance and the uncertainty of the outcome that keeps players on their toes and spectators on the edge of their seats.
To set the cylinder in rotation, a fine silk thread was wrapped round the same. A sharp pull at this string gave the cylinder a rotation, which continued for two or three minutes. If the centrifugal fan was made to follow the cylinder, the latter moved laterally. When made to rotate in an opposite direction, it moved towards the opposite side.
– G. Magnus, 1852
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
F.L. Verwiebe, Am. J. Phys. 10, 119–120 (1942)
R.M. Sutton, Am. J. Phys. 10, 201–202 (1942)
L.J. Briggs, Am. J. Phys. 27, 589–596 (1959)
N.F. Smith, Phys. Teach. 10, 451–455 (1972)
R.G. Watts, E. Sawyer, Am. J. Phys. 43, 960–963 (1975)
B.L. Coulter, C.G. Adler, Am. J. Phys. 47, 841–846 (1979)
C. Frohlich, Am. J. Phys. 52, 325–334 (1984)
R. Mehta, Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 17, 151–189 (1985)
H. Erlichson, Am. J. Phys. 53, 582–583 (1985)
C. Frohlich, Am. J. Phys. 53, 583 (1985)
P.J. Brancazio, Am. J. Phys. 53, 849–855 (1985)
A.F. Rex, Am. J. Phys. 53, 1073–1075 (1985)
A. Stepanek, Am. J. Phys. 56, 138–142 (1986)
R.G. Watts, R. Ferrer, Am. J. Phys. 55, 40–44 (1987)
R.G. Watts, S. Baroni, Am. J. Phys. 57, 40–45 (1989)
D.T. Kagan, Am. J. Phys. 58, 151–154 (1990)
L.W. Alaways, M. Hubbard, J. Sports Sci. 19, 349–358 (2001)
G.S. Sawicki, Am. J. Phys. 71, 1152–1162 (2003)
G.S. Sawicki, M. Hubbard, W.J. Stronge [Am. J. Phys. 11, 1152–1162 (2003)], Am. J. Phys. 73, 185–189 (2005)
G.S. Sawicki, M. Hubbard, W.J. Stronge [Am. J. Phys. 11, 1152–1162 (2003)], Am. J. Phys. 73, 365 (2005)
R.K. Adair [Am. J. Phys. 11, 1152–1162 (2003)], Am. J. Phys. 73, 184–185 (2005)
J.M. Pallis, R.D. Mehta, in Balls and Ballistics, Ch5, ed. by M. Jenkins. Materials in Sports Equipment (Woodhead, Cambridge, 2003), pp. 100–126
J.E. Goff, Phys. Educ. 39, 496–499 (2004)
J. Rossman, A. Rau, Am. J. Phys. 75, 1099–1105 (2007)
R. Cross, Phys. Teach. 45, 334–336 (2007)
A. Nathan, Am. J. Phys. 76, 119–124 (2008)
M.K. McBeath, A.M. Nathan, A.T. Bahill, D.G. Baldwin, Am. J. Phys. 76, 723–729 (2008)
E.R. Meyer, J.L. Bohn, Am. J. Phys. 76, 1015–1021 (2008)
A.T. Bahill, D.G. Baldwin, J.S. Ramberg, Int. J. Sports Sci. Eng. 3, 109–128 (2009)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cross, R. (2011). Ball Trajectories. In: Physics of Baseball & Softball. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8113-4_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8113-4_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-8112-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-8113-4
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)