Isn't the ball accelerating from the mound to the plate? If so, is the speed displayed by the radar gun an average between the plate and the mound? Or, is this the maximum velocity and the ball is actually decelerating somewhere between the mound and the plate?
2006-10-17 19:00:05 · 3 answers · asked by sunseekerrv 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It depends on where they are able to measure it and where they choose to measure it. The ideal place would be near home plate, because that's the speed that matters to the game. The measurement would be an average over however long it takes to make the measurement.
The ball is accelerating slightly due to gravity. It has a small negative acceleration in the direction of motion due to air friction. Most of the variation in its path is due to interaction with the air due to spin.
2006-10-17 20:07:35 · answer #1 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course the ball is not accelerating, except in the sense of negative acceleration from aerodynamic drag. The velocity from a radar gun would be about the average speed between the mound and home plate (assuming the sample was around the midpoint of the ball's flight).
2006-10-17 19:04:35 · answer #2 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would guess that it is just like a radar dectector. Having said that, I think that it would take the speed of the baseball as it passes a certain point that is x distance from the radar gun.
2006-10-17 19:05:09 · answer #3 · answered by vabanu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋