Friction on Flat Surfaces: Case of a Cricket Ball

Friction is essential to all ball sports, but is more obviously important if the ball is rolling on a surface. Which ball sports require a ball to roll on a surface as a critical component of the sport? Name as many sports as possible.

Consider the following graph, excerpted from the book series Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls from Schottenbauer Publishing:

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the initial velocity of the ball?
2. What is the final velocity of the ball?
3. What is the initial momentum of the ball?
4. What is the final momentum of the ball?
5. What is the initial kinetic energy of the ball?
6. What is the final kinetic energy of the ball?
7. How far does the ball travel?
8. Given the same initial velocity, would this ball travel further on a gym floor? On grass?

Lab manuals from Schottenbauer Publishing can supplement traditional curricula in math, physical science, physics, and physical education. They can also be integrated into summer camp and other summer academic enrichment activities, from approximately age 10 and onward. Ideas for lesson plans can be found in the blog Graphs in Education. 

Book series related to ball sports from Schottenbauer Publishing include: 

Graphs & Data for Science Lab: Multi-Volume Series

• Bounce, Roll, & Fly! The Science of Ball Sports
• The Science of Hockey (Field, Street, & Ice)
• The Science of Baseball
• Golf Science

Anthologies of 28 Graphs

• The Science of Ball Sports
• The Science of Summer Olympic Sports 
• The World in a Graph

Books by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D. are available in both English and German from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Powell's, and other internet retailers. Wholesale is available directly from CreateSpace online.


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Science of Ball Sports Memorabilia

Celebrate the science of ball sports with memorabilia from Zazzle! Colorful graphs from Schottenbauer Publishing are featured on these mugs, magnets, keychains, & postcards. Sports include American football, baseball, basketball, cricket, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, racquetball, rugby, soccer, softball, street/ice hockey, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. Direct links to each collection are included below:

     

A variety of other sport science collections are also available from Schottenbauer Publishing on Zazzle, which features regular sales on most items.  


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Comparing Ball Performance: Basketball & Soccer

Ball sports require many different types of balls, each with various characteristics. These properties can be examined by the scientific method. Consider the following table, excerpted and edited from Volume 4 of Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls from Schottenbauer Publishing. 

Discussion Questions

1. How many times does the ball bounce?
2. For what length of time does the ball bounce?
3. From what initial height is the ball dropped?
4. How high does the ball bounce each time? Make a table listing the values, in order.
5. What is the difference between sequential heights? Add these to the table.
6. How far does the ball drift in the x direction?

Discussion Questions

1. How many times does the ball bounce?
2. For what length of time does the ball bounce?
3. From what initial height is the ball dropped?
4. How high does the ball bounce each time? Make a table listing the values, in order.
5. What is the difference between sequential heights? Add these to the table.
6. How far does the ball drift in the x direction?

Comparison Questions

1. Which ball is larger?
2. Which ball has more mass?
3. Which ball bounces more times?
4. Which ball bounces longer in time?
5. Which ball is dropped from the higher point?
6. Which ball drifts further in the x direction?

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Natural vs. Sport Action of Swinging Clubs

Many sports involve a swinging action. Depending on the sport, it may be clubs, bats, rackets, arms, and/or feet which are swung. 

Variations in swinging technique lead to massive differences in results. Take a moment to consider the natural swinging motion of a golf club. The following graph is excerpted from Golf Science, Volume 1 from Schottenbauer Publishing.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the maximum and minimum x positions of the club? The y positions? Write these as coordinate pairs (x, y).
2. Sketch the real positions of the club, during the first swing back and forth. Does the club begin at the right or left?
3. How many times does the club swing in the graph?
4. How does an athletic swing of the club differ from the natural swing of the club?

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Does Follow-Through Really Matter?

One of the most important techniques for children to learn in physical education class is the concept of follow-through. Hitting a ball effectively requires prolonged contact between the bat/club/racket/foot and the ball. This means that the bat/club/racket/foot must continue through the point of initial contact, following the ball and pushing it as far as possible as it travels away from the player.

The concept of follow-through can be examined using graphs. Consider the graphs below, excerpted from the book Golf Science from Schottenbauer Publishing:

Discussion Questions:

1. Which graph above shows backwards rebound of the golf club from the ball?
2. Which graph above shows follow-through in the swing?
3. Compare the graphs, and describe the difference in the highest pre-swing position of the golf club, including both vertical & horizontal coordinates. Is the highest pre-swing position of the club approximately the same in both graphs?
4. Compare the graphs, and describe the difference in velocity (speed and direction) of the golf club at the moment it hits the ball. Is the velocity approximately the same in both graphs?
5. Compare the graphs, and describe any differences in the trajectory of the ball.
6. Using these graphs, describe the importance of follow-through.
7. Are these graphs suitable for assessing the importance of follow-through?

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Does a Ball Fall Like This? Free Video Tests of Motion

Teachers and homeschool parents can quiz their students on the motion of balls with a new series of free YouTube videos from Schottenbauer Publishing. 

• Motion Test 1: Does a Ball Fall Like This? 
• Motion Test 2: Does a Ball Bounce Like This?
• Motion Test 3: Does a Ball Fly Like This?

These videos can be watched before and after three tutorial videos, showing 24 real sport balls bouncing, rolling, and flying through the air in projectile motion.

• Sport Balls Bouncing
• Sport Balls Rolling
• Sport Balls Flying

The latter three videos correspond to the Sampler Edition of Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls. This and other books by M. Schottenbauer, Ph.D. are available in both English and German from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Powell's, and other internet retailers. Wholesale is available directly from CreateSpace online.

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The Science of Baseball: A New Book Series

A new book series, The Science of Baseball, Volumes 1 & 2, has arrived from Schottenbauer Publishing! This book series is available from CreateSpace, Amazon, and other internet retailers.

This book series contains graphs relevant to baseball and softball. The first two volumes focus on video analysis of balls and bats under common conditions. Graphs show trajectories from various points of origin, with time plotted against x and y variables. Topics for Volumes 1 and 2 include the following:

Volume 1 Topics

• Trajectories of Plastic Balls from Pitching Machine
• Hardball
• Softball
• Pop Fly
• Grounder
• Lateral Drift Due to Wind

Volume 2 Topics

• Comparison and Contrast of Balls & Bats
• Bats
• Wood
• Plastic
• Aluminum
• Balls
• Official Baseball
• Safety Baseballs
• Plastic Baseballs
• Softball
• Wiffle Ball
• Balls falling and rebounding from bats & concrete
• Balls rebounding from plywood set at angles
• Bats hitting balls on a stationary tee

These books are suitable as a supplement for class projects in math, physical science, physics, and physical education. Ideas for lesson plans can be found in the blog Graphs in Education. 

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Comparing Graphs of 24 Sport Balls Bouncing, Rolling, & Flying

A new edition of Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls has arrived! The Sampler Edition contains graphs of 24 sport balls as they bounce, roll, and fly through the air, including three baseballs (official, safety, plastic), a basketball, a cricket ball, a dodge ball, a football, three golf balls (official, foam, plastic), a hackeysack, three hockey balls (field, low-density street, high-density street), a kickball, a lacrosse ball, a ping pong ball, a racquetball, a rugby ball, a soccer ball, a softball, a tennis ball, a toy ball, and a volleyball. This is undoubtedly the best book in the series, because it is coordinated with three YouTube videos showing the balls in motion, bouncing, rolling and flying!

The graph below is excerpted from Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls: Sampler Edition.

Discussion Questions

1. How many times does the baseball bounce?
2. From what height is the baseball dropped?
3. Write one or more equations describing the motion of the ball.
4. What is the potential energy of the baseball in the beginning? At the peak of each bounce? In the end of the graph?
5. What is the maximum velocity of the ball? The maximum momentum?

Understanding graphs such as the one found above can be enhanced by viewing free YouTube videos on the publisher's site. These videos allow students to compare the motion of the balls visually as they travel in space. Students might be asked to watch the videos first, and estimate the performance of the balls visually before examining the graphs. For instance, which ball bounced highest?


Books related to ball sports from Schottenbauer Publishing include: 

Graphs & Data for Science Lab: Multi-Volume Series

• Bounce, Roll, & Fly! The Science of Ball Sports
• The Science of Hockey (Field, Street, & Ice)

Anthologies of 28 Graphs

• The Science of Ball Sports
• The Science of Summer Olympic Sports 
• The World in a Graph

Additional Information

Schottenbauer Publishing

Free Education Resources