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Baseball and Physics

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Submitted By louieooh
Words 1522
Pages 7
Baseball has and always will be a part of my life. I have grown up playing the sport since I was a small child. As of late i have had the opportunity to discuss physics and get a better understanding of the forces involved in everyday life. Each and every day physics of all types are continuously happening around us all. We may not notice it, but that's because its all just normal for us now. From driving a car down Pacific Coastal Highway to looking West as we watch giant waves crash in to the coast. I'm taking this opportunity to show my understanding of physical science by explaining how and which forces are present in the sport of baseball. From throwing a ball, the build up of a swing all the way through the contact of the ball and the path of which the ball takes will be examined and explained throughout the course of this paper.
One of the first quotes I came across after I decided to choose this topic was “ The physics of baseball is not rocket science. Its much harder” (Adair, R. (n.d.). Physics of baseball) One thing people want to know is how does a ball react to the impact of a baseball bat. To touch base on this subject I want to go through what type of energy is used. A ball is thrown and takes on a role of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is anything with matter moving or in motion. As the ball speeds through the air and the bat and ball make contact there is a split second where that kinetic energy turns into potential energy. Potential energy is the stored energy in an object due to its position. In this case, its the baseball as it hits the bat. Imagine a trampoline. Your jumping on the trampoline and you bounce up and come back down. At some point of up and down there is a split second where you are in a set position. When you are no longer up or down you are in a state of potential energy. Okay, so now imagine a bat and ball, the trampoline is the

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