2006-10-10 02:21:07 · 9 answers · asked by innocencemocker 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
A soccer ball is circular and called a sphere.
A football is not really an ellipse. The equation of the projection onto
the x/y plane of an ellipse of revolution is (x/a)^2 +(x/b)^2 = 1. where 'a'
and 'b' are the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively. The foot ball
is too "pointed" on the ends to be an ellipse according to the definition
above. The general name for objects that have an axis of symmetry, like a
football ignoring the sewing and the laces, is an oval of revolution.
There are methods for generating analytical equations of such geometric
figures, but space does not permit that discussion in this forum.
The three-dimensional figure that best fits a football is an ellipsoid. An
ellipsoid is formed by rotating an ellipse around one of its two axes. You
can get something like a football or something like a flying saucer,
depending on which axis you choose.
An Americal football is a prolate spheroid. This means that its axis of
symmetry is longer than its other axes. Am M&M candy, on the other hand, is
an oblate spheroid. Its axis of symmetry is shorter than its other axes.
for more pl. visit:
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Lemon.html
2006-10-10 02:36:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-16 05:13:33 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For an American football or a European rugby ball, it would be an ellipsoid. For a European football, it is a sphere made up of pentagons and hexagons forming a truncated icosahedron.
2006-10-10 02:38:59 · answer #3 · answered by R_SHARP 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Truncated Icosahedron.
2006-10-10 02:30:33 · answer #4 · answered by sabrina_at_tc 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Voidwhereprohibited?
2006-10-10 02:28:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ellipsoid... I think. If not, it's close to one.
I think I remember Howard Cossell calling it "the ellipsoid pigskin" once.
2006-10-10 02:24:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ovoid?
2006-10-10 02:24:48 · answer #7 · answered by Rodolfo Max 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree with "jdsheth2004"
2006-10-10 03:01:39 · answer #8 · answered by Melody 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
prolate spheroid
2006-10-10 02:34:54 · answer #9 · answered by hollie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋