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Impact of the Drag Force and the Magnus Effect on the Trajectory of a Baseball
The Pennsylvania State University, University College, York, PA, USA
- 1 The Pennsylvania State University, University College, York, PA, USA
World Journal of Mechanics·Volume 05 (2015)·Pages 49–58·Published 14 April 2015·DOI10.4236/wjm.2015.54006
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Abstract
We consider the impact of drag force and the Magnus effect on the motion of a baseball. Quantitatively we show how the speed-dependent drag coefficient alters the trajectory of the ball. For the Magnus effect we envision a scenario where the rotation of the ball confines the Magnus force to the vertical plane; gravity, drag force and the Magnus force make a trio-planar system. We investigate the interplay of these forces on the trajectories.
KeywordsDrag ForceMagnus EffectSpinning BallBaseballNonlinear Physics<i>Mathematica</i>
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