Modeling the Flight of a Baseball

Abstract

America’s favorite pastime became my favorite sport at the age of nine. Listening to the roar of the fans, the crack of the bat, and the hum of the ball captured my heart. Every time I step on the field, my hearts starts to pound and I begin to miss playing the game. The first time I played baseball, I enjoyed every challenge that the game offered. Education leads to many different doors and mine led me into the world of computers and mathematical modeling. I decided that I would like to combine my chosen field of study and my favorite sport into an honors thesis. Throughout my thesis, I want to look at the mathematics and physics behind baseball. Looking at all the aspects of baseball could take a couple of years so I narrowed my selection to the flight of a baseball. The flight of a baseball, whether thrown or batted, produces an interesting study of trajectory and distance. Using gravitational force, drag force, and Magnus Force, I plan on examining the different flight paths and travel distances of the baseball. I start off by showing the mathematics and physics behind the flight of a baseball, then I demonstrate some different pitches while analyzing the strike zone. Then I show the effects of air density, velocity, spin, and angle of elevation on a batted ball.