Physics Question?

Question

MEDIUM - hard baseballs
1. What are the characteristics of this medium(i.e.density, elasticity, compressibility, and bulk modulus)?


2. What would happen to your hand on the other end of a group of baseballs after they were struck with a hammer? Did you feel more pressure when compared to the water balloons? why?


3. Is this medium good for energy propagation, prove it through supporting references.

Answer 1

That's kind of a sick problem.... Your teacher is a sick man, but don't tell him. LOL.
1. It is a solid substance with density close to that of wood or plastic; it is highly elastic, but not very compressible. Bulk modulus - look it up (for plastic or wood), I don't remember off hand. It has to be pretty high, so that the ball doesn't get smashed whe you strike it.
2. Your hand would feel as if you struk it with a hammer, i.e. pain and unpleasantness. The collisison between hammer and baseball is absolutely elastic, that's why. Oh yeah, you'd feel tons more pressure compared to the water balloons. Cause collision with water balloons would be inelastic. ballons change their shape easlily and absorb the energy of the impact into the internal energy of its molecules.
3. Yes, this medium is good for energy propagation. (whatever they mean by this statement) which is supported by (2).