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The Physics of baseball


             dl = density of particle (g cm -),.
             d2 = density of medium (g cm-), and.
             ยต = viscosity of medium (dyne sec cm-).
             Velocities have to be low for Stokes' law to be applicable. Air needs to be able to flow easily around a passing bullet, or possibly a baseball. At higher velocities the baseball's motion is too quick for this to occur. The baseball knocks the air out of the way. The total mass of air the baseball comes into contact with per second is pvA. p is the air density, v is the baseball's speed, and A is the baseball's cross-sectional area. .
             The drag coefficient is a strong part of speed for baseballs. The drag coefficient at low speeds is more or less constant. The drag coefficient, Cd , drops substantially as the speed increases. The sudden descent in the drag coefficient is caused by a change from laminar to turbulent flow in the air layer directly above the ball's surface. All of this is displayed in the diagram below. Cd represents the drag coefficient. .
             .
             Stitches on a baseball have a great significance on its aerodynamic properties. Without the stitches the air drag would cause the high speeds to increase considerably. A used baseball has less air drag than a regulation ball. A scuffed up baseball can be thrown faster which is why baseballs are switched out regularly in major league games. If baseballs were completely smooth, major league pitchers would most likely not be able to throw 95 miles per hour fastballs. .
             Magnus Force is the force on a rotating or spinning object such as a cylinder or a baseball. It is the same as the lifting force on the wings of an airplane. The ability for a pitcher to curve a baseball has not been discovered. It was originally discarded as an optical illusion but when the ball is thrown it tends to spin fairly rapidly, usually around 1500 rpm. The force that makes a spinning baseball curve is explained by the increasing drag force when the baseball increases with speed.


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