The Baseball and Air Activity

If so instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.

Explanation:

In FoilSim click the Play Ball button and the Reset button. Be sure to select the Unit button and change to Metric units.

Step 1.

In the Airfoil Panel move the slider on the right as close to 'out' as possible. Select the Activate Probe button in the Probe Control Panel. When the probe appears, position the red ball of the probe as close to the center (from front to back) of the baseball as possible by adjusting the slider on the bottom of the Probe Control Panel. Then position the probe as close to the ball as possible by adjusting the slider on the left of the panel.

Step 2.

Using a ruler, measure the distance between the red ball of the probe and the center of the ball. How fast is the airstream moving around the ball at this distance?

Distance ___________mm. Speed of the airstream ______________km/hr.

Step 3.

By moving only the left slider in the Probe Control Panel move the probe to the right of the ball and take five readings of distance and speed. Record these in the chart below. Repeat this for five readings to the left of the ball.

Right Side Distance (x)
Right Side Speed (y)
Left Side Distance (x)
Left Side Speed (y) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4.

Using two different colored pens, graph the information from the chart on the graph found in the worksheet. Graph #1 will be the right side of the ball, and graph #2 will be the left side.

 

Conclusions:

  1. What happens to the airstream as the probe is moved farther from the center of the ball?   
  2. Why do you think this happens? 
  3. What happens if you change the speed of the ball? 
  4. Does this change what you discovered in Question 1?
  5. Does your result change if you throw a curveball? a screwball? 
  6. Examine your graphs. What kind of relationship exists between an airstream's distance from the ball and the speed of the airstream?
  7. Write an equation for one of your graphs. 
  8. Why is this the correct equation?
 


Please send any comments to:
Web Site Related: Dale Morris (Dale.J.Morris@grc.nasa.gov), Technology Related: Tom Benson(Tom Benson@lerc.nasa.gov)