Help with science project?

Question

Okay I have this science project and I have to answer this question and I need help.
How does inertia apply to the game of volleyball.
And in the answer it needs to have mass/inertia and I need an answer and I need help PLEASE!

Answer 1

The ball has mass and it is given an acceleration by the hand that hits it. The trajectory of the ball (it’s flight path) is explained by classical Newtonian Physics in the field of projectiles. However, its flight path is often changed by the other team when a person on that team hits the ball. This person is using the power generated by their hand to hit the ball, overcome the ball’s inertia and send it off on a new course; hopefully one that crosses the net and lands within the boundary box of the other team’s side. The goal is have the other team miss the ball, but often they don’t fail to hit it. However, if they get a poor hit then they might not be able to overcome enough of the ball’s inertia to get it across the net. They may either need an assist from another player that can add their power to overcome the inertial of the ball or the ball can be caught in the net and the net will absorb its movement caused by its inertia. We can see this movement as the net flexes. When the ball is missed and hits the floor then the floor also absorbs some of the inertia but it rarely flexes so we can’t see the floor’s action. Of course if the floor is sand then we can see the hole in the sand created as the ball hits it. We see a mound of sand around the hole forming a crater, at the impact site, in the sand. Because the ball transmits some of its inertia to the sand forcing it to move in a new direction this mound and even a spray of sand can be observed.

The law of inertia states that an object that is at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless another force acts against that object. The volleyball can be a classic example of this happening.

First the flight path of the ball isn’t straight up into the sky and away from the earth. The earth’s gravity is strong enough to overcome the ball’s inertia of movement and pull it earthward.

The volleyball players are always trying to change the course of the ball and they have to overcome its inertia to do so. If they don’t apply enough force to overcome the ball’s inertia then it falls to the floor or it falls short of the net. If they provide too much force then the ball goes out of bounds. With each hit the ball’s inertia changes because that force changes the flight path of the ball. The ball’s inertia in flight keeps it on a predictable path so the other team has a chance of returning that ball.

In the case of the ball it has a mass which when acted upon by a force then moves with an acceleration over a certain distance and with a specific velocity. The average of that velocity can be calculated by including the resistance of the air, and the force of gravity.

When a person hits the ball they are moving their fist and arm (that has a certain mass) over a distance with a specific velocity, direction and acceleration. The ball is hit and the force from the hand and arm is transmitted to the ball. If the force (mass X acceleration) is great enough then it can overcome the force of the ball (its inertia) to be returned to the other side.

A simple way to show this would be with vector analysis. Vectors are lines of force with a specific magnitude a measurement of that force that moves along a line at a specific direction. When the vector of the ball hits the vector of the hand then the two vectors are added together (we consider that one direction is positive and the opposite direction is negative). If the two forces are equal they cancel each other out and the third vector, that of gravity, determines the ball’s downward movement. If the magnitude of the vector from the arm is greater than the force vector of the ball then the ball is returned along a new vector. The angle and direction of travel is determined by how the vectors add up, creating a new line of flight thus a new vector.

To analyze vectors you break them down into vertical and horizontal forces. This is where you need to know trig or how to divide up a circle. If the vector of the hand against the ball comes in at 30 degrees from the floor with a force of 8 foot pounds then that equates to an horizontal force of cos 30 x 8 ft/lbs with a vertical force of sin 30 x 8 ft/lbs. Gravity has a constant acceleration of 32 ft/sec so that is expressed as a vertical vector pointing down that has a magnitude determined by F=ma [vector magnitude = mass (of the ball) x acceleration of gravity] or F = ball mass X 32 ft/sec. Then you only need to calculate the incoming vector that the ball is on as determined by the force that the other player put on the ball. The effect of gravity will be the same for both of the new vectors (the hit and then the return) so it only enters the equation once. The force of air resistance shouldn’t change unless you want to account for the direction and velocity of the wind so it will remain a constant force resting all of the ball’s movement. The exact calculations and formulas are left as an exercise for the student (I can’t do all your homework for you).

Remember that you are only working with average velocity and the average acceleration since both forces are constantly changing due to the air resistance and the force of gravity. To calculate the exact vector force at any single point in time requires calculus, which is why after Isaac Newton invented classical physics he had to invent calculus to use it.

Answer 2

As the ball is moving through the air, it has inertia. When you strike the ball, the force on your hand is determined by the mass of the ball, and its velocity, along with the velocity with which your hand is moving relative to the ball.

In reality, inertia only comes into play when the velocity of the ball is changing; i.e. acceleration. Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist acceleration, and this is the reason that it takes a relatively large amount of force to change the direction of the ball. If a scale were used to measure the force applied to the ball when striking it, one might find that the force, if measured in grams or pounds on a scale would be greater than the weight of the ball.

Answer 3

the ball will keep going in teh same direction until someone hits it back, or it hits the ground, or simply the fact that gravity is acting on it from the moment you hit it... idk, look it up!

seriously, just look up inertia in a dictionary. it's not that hard to come up with examples...