Pitching Ace and Physics Master
Posted by drdavescience on March 12, 2008
Physics is concerned with how things move, energy, space, and time. In an everyday sense physics explains how planes fly, how electricity flows from an electrical outlet to a light bulb, and even how glasses help people to see better.
Perhaps one of the coolest everyday example of physics is in sports. Since spring is around the corner, I will focus on baseball.
I think pitchers are masters of physics. They know how to throw a ball with great speed and precision so that it will land in the strike zone.
Let’s take a closer look at the pitching process.
During the wind-up, a pitcher uses his body to transfer energy to the ball. This energy is called kinetic energy, the energy of motion.
As the baseball is being released, pitchers sometimes add some spin. This can cause the ball to take a curving path, rather than straight path, which can confuse the batter.
Breaking it Down
We know from experience that if we hold a ball and simply let it go, gravity will pull it down.
We also know that when we throw the ball straight ahead, the ball will fly forward while arcing downwards. If you think about it, there are two things the affect how the ball flies, the throw and gravity.
Now, if you throw the ball, but this time you release it with a spin, the ball will fly forward, arc downwards, and curve in the direction of the spin. In this case the throw, gravity, and the spin affects how the ball flies.
The best way to understand this concept is with a few good examples. A friend suggested this impressive wiffleball pitching video because it clearly illustrates the effect of spin on pitching. Keep your eyes on the ball!
The pitchers in this video are able to get such amazing curveballs because the plastic wiffleball is very light and more easily affected by spin than a heavier baseball.
When baseball season starts-up, do not forget to root for your favorite physics master, I mean pitcher!
-Dr. Dave
