Please help me settle an office bet. The hallway outside my office is 133.5 feet long, and the ceiling is 8 feet high. Can a major league baseball player (specifically, Ivan Rodriguez, the catcher for the Detroit Tigers) throw a ball and hit the wall at the other end of the hallway without it bouncing on the ground first? I say yes, and have an expensive bottle of irish whiskey riding on it. Any help you can provide with proving me right (I hope) would be much appreciated.
2006-11-30 01:55:21 · 6 answers · asked by daneel12 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
He would need to throw at least 129 MPH to do that. Here is my calculation:
Assume he throws overhand so that he releases the ball near the ceiling, 8 feet above the floor. Assuming he throws parallel to the floor, the ball starts 8 feet up and begins accelerating down at 32 feet per second square as soon as he releases it. Using the formula X=1/2AT^2, I calculate it takes 0.707 seconds to hit the floor, so it has to travel 133.5 feet horizontally in less than 0.707 seconds to hit the far wall before hitting the floor. 133.5 feet in 0.707 seconds is 189 feet per second or 129 MPH.
But wait, there is more!
If he throws underhand, releasing the ball near the floor, and if he throws at a slight up angle so the the ball nearly touches the ceiling half way down the hall, then it takes twice as long to hit the floor. It takes 0.707 seconds to rise up to 8 feet and another 0.707 seconds to fall back to the floor. So he would only have to throw half as fast to hit the far wall; only 64 /12 MPH.
So the question becomes, can he throw 129 MPH overhand or 64 1/2 MPH underhand?
2006-11-30 02:01:46 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a former pro-ball player, I can say that the act of "throwing a ball and hit the wall at the other end of the hallway (133.5 feet away) without it bouncing on the ground first" is completely and totally possible, and it happens every day.
Now, doing it without the ball going more than 8 feet high? That ball will have to have some serious velocity on it. Not 129mph mind you, but some good zip for sure (probly around 90mph) A pitchers mound is around 2-3 feet high remember, plus the height of the pitcher (I'm 6'7"). In my experience, if the catcher has a cannon for an arm, he CAN make a throw that is about 7-9 feet in the air and make it to 2nd base without a bounce.
Hope that helps.
2006-11-30 13:30:44 · answer #2 · answered by Junior 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would discount the analysis above from Campbelb about having to throw the ball 129 mph. This guy has obviously never thrown a baseball before, let alone play the game.
The straight line distance from homeplate to second base is 127 feet. Given that a major league catcher may be throwing from behind homeplate and the second baseman or shortstop are catching the ball on a fly, the extra 5 feet of travel can be assumed reasonable. (If you watched enough baseball, you have seen throws sail into centerfield.) Also, if the pitcher has to duck to avoid the catcher's throw, that would be evidence that the throw is lower than 8 feet.
2006-11-30 12:45:48 · answer #3 · answered by Stan the Rocker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fastest observed overhand pitch is 103mph
Fastpitch softball +70mph
2006-11-30 12:40:46 · answer #4 · answered by Rodney M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how are you ever going to find out the answer for real?
2006-11-30 09:58:21 · answer #5 · answered by juz me, deal with it 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES, I'VE DONE IT BEFORE!
2006-11-30 09:59:09 · answer #6 · answered by quikonfet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋