Bat In ActionPhysics

Zachary Senchak 10th Grade New Castle Sr High School

Observation

Growing up from playing baseball from an early age I noticed how from year to year the type of ball I used changed. The difference between each baseball will effect how far or how fast the ball will reflect off of the bat. This led me to my question which is will the different type of baseball have an effect on the rebound height bounced off of the bat?

Research

• The sweet spot on a baseball bat is the location which produces maximum batted ball speed, and the location where maximum energy is transferred to the ball. The sweet spot is located in the middle of the barrel.

• Tee-Ball Baseball- a baseball that is very soft. It contains more rubber than any other baseball.

• Pony League Baseball- a baseball that is durable and has a hard outside shell covered in leather.

• Official League Baseball- a baseball that is larger than most and is very durable and hard. It contains a string like straw wrapped around a solid ball in the center of the baseball.

Research (Cont.)

• BBCOR- stands for "bat - ball coefficient of restitution,“ which measures how efficient the ball rebounds off the bat. This means the velocity before the impact of the bat and ball. BBCOR bats are designed to achieve wood-like performance in non-wood bats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_(ball)

http://www.ehow.com/list_7498444_different-kinds-baseballs.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/349553-what-is-the-difference-between-baseballs

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Hypothesis

I think the tee-ball will have the highest rebound height off of the BBCOR bat because it is the ball that tends to have more recoil when hit with a bat.

Materials List

• 50 centimeter cylinder pipe• 3 Baseballs (Tee-Ball, Pony League, Official

League)• 1 Baseball Bat (BBCOR)• Metric tape measure • 2-two hole straps• 4 screws• 30 centimeter piece of velcro• Video Camera

Controls and Variables

Controls - cylinder pipe drop height baseball bat tester video camera wall

Independent Variable- type of baseballsDependent Variable- rebound height of

the baseball

Test Procedures

1. Place the tape measure on a smooth wall by taping each side as tight to the wall as possible avoiding bumps and creases.

2. Put and hold the cylinder pipe Ninety centimeters up the wall. The top of the pipe should be at the 90 centimeter mark.

3. Take the two hole straps and place one at the bottom and one at the top of the pipe. Screw in the screws tightly so that the pipe is steady.

4. Place a strip of velcro on the ground underneath the pipe. Then place the other velcro strip on the bat’s barrel. Place the bat’s barrel on the velcro. The bat should stay still. The middle of the barrel should be right under the pipe opening.

Test procedure

5. Set the high-speed video camera were the lens is right above the bat. The angle of the camera should only see the bat and the tape measurer behind it.

6. Turn the video camera on and record.7. Release the baseball at the top of the pipe.

The baseball should not be inside the pipe when dropped.

8. After the baseball bounces off the bat, stop recording.

9. Play the video and find the highest point the ball has bounced off the bat and record results.

10. Repeat steps 4-9 50 times.11. Repeat steps 4-10 for each baseball.