Physics of Sports Video

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Description of Project: I worked with two other classmates to make a video about hitting a home run. We wanted to give people a better understanding of the physics of hitting a home run. We videotaped one classmate hitting a ball. We did some footage in slow motion and some at a normal speed. We worked in the classroom together to calculate the total velocity, the horizontal velocity and the vertical velocity of the baseball. We also calculated the force of the impact. We videotaped the equations with a voice-over description of them. We edited all the clips together and added some music in the background.

Velocity of Pitch: The equation for velocity is distance/time. The distance of the pitch was about 4 meters and the time was about 2 seconds. The pitch comes in at around 22 meters per second which is equal to 45 miles per hour.

Velocity of the Hit: The distance measured from the hit is 2.5 meters and the time is .1 second. The horizontal velocity of the hit is 28 meters per second which is equal to 62 miles per hour.

Total Velocity of Hit: The equation for total velocity is A squared + B squared= C squared. The total velocity of the hit is 32 meters per second which is equal to 72 miles per hour.

Force of Impact of the Bat on the Ball: The equation for force of impact is mass x change in velocity equals force of impact x time. The force of impact from the bat on the ball is 2,025 newtons which is equal to 455 pounds.

Reflection

I felt that my project went well overall. My team worked well together and everyone got along well. I felt that we divided the work well in the group. We successfully did the calculations. The filming was fun and engaging. We had a few challenges. One member of our group was absent several times throughout the project. This made it tough to get all the footage because some of the clips were on his phone. We had to add that footage later. Learning how to use imovie and insert the sound and music was a bit frustrating but we eventually dialed that in. I could have label things better with titles in the video. I wish I had put credits at the end with out names.