Baseball Physics Assessment
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Date:
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OpenSciEd 8.1 • Forces & Energy
Baseball Physics Assessment
How forces, motion, and energy change the game of baseball
In baseball, strict rules control what bats and balls players can use so games stay fair. But many other factors also change how the game is played, such as wind, weather, stadium location, and player strength. Use what you know about forces and kinetic energy to answer the questions below.
1
Wind and Pitch Speed
The graph shows how pitch speed changes when the ball is thrown into different winds. Points A, B, and C show three identical fastballs thrown at the exact same starting speed (85 mph), but with different headwind blowing against them.
• Pitch A: 0.5 mph wind → 85.0 mph at home plate
• Pitch B: 7.0 mph wind → 83.5 mph at home plate
• Pitch C: 9.0 mph wind → 82.8 mph at home plate
Pitch Speed vs. Wind Speed Blowing Against Ball 86 85 84 83 0 2 4 6 8 Pitch Speed (mph) Wind Speed (mph) A B C
Question 1: Force Diagrams (Air Pushing on Ball) Drawing Guide
Draw a force diagram for each pitch (A, B, and C) after the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. Show the contact force between the ball and the air. Draw arrows to show the direction and strength of the force.
Checklist: ✓ Start your arrow at the center dot ✓ Arrow points left (against motion) ✓ Faster wind = longer arrow (C > B > A) ✓ Label the arrow: Air Force
Pitch A (0.5 mph wind) Ball Motion →
Draw contact force arrow
Pitch B (7.0 mph wind) Ball Motion →
Draw contact force arrow
Pitch C (9.0 mph wind) Ball Motion →
Draw contact force arrow
Question 2: Kinetic Energy at Home Plate
All three pitches left the pitcher's hand with the same amount of kinetic energy (motion energy). Will they all have the same amount of kinetic energy when they reach home plate? Why or why not?
Claim: When reaching home plate, the pitches will have: [ ] The same KE [ ] Different amounts of KE
Evidence: How does the force of the air push on ball A compared to ball C?
Scientific Reason: When air pushes against a moving ball, what happens to the ball's kinetic energy?
OpenSciEd Unit 8.1 • Forces and Collisions Page 1 of 4
Part 1 Continued & Part 2
Classroom Experiment & Bat Speed Data
Student Name:
Question 3: Designing a Classroom Experiment Planning Guide
How could you test this in your classroom using science equipment? Complete the table to match baseball items to classroom tools, then write your steps.
| Baseball Item |
Classroom Tool We Can Use |
What to Do With This Item |
| Pitcher (Throws at same speed) |
Ramp with a release line OR spring launcher |
Keep release spot the SAME every trial |
| Baseball |
E.g., Small rolling ball or cart |
Use the SAME ball every trial |
| Wind (0.5, 7, and 9 mph) |
E.g., Electric box fan (Off, Low, High speeds) |
CHANGE this to test different winds |
| Speed / Kinetic Energy |
E.g., Speed sensors (photogates) or video timer |
MEASURE the final speed at the end |
Investigation Steps:
Step 1 (Setup): What will you keep the same in every test?
Step 2 (Testing): How will you test the 3 different wind speeds?
Step 3 (Measuring): What data will you measure and record?
2
Bat Weight and Swing Speed
A power hitter swung bats with different weights (mass in grams) as hard as possible. Look at the data table below to see how bat weight affects swing speed.
| Bat Mass
(grams) | Swing Speed
(mph) |
| --- | --- |
| 284 | 74 |
| 340 | 70 |
| 652 | 71 |
| 907 | 62 |
| 964 | 62 |
| 1191 | 61 |
| 1361 | 57 |
Tasks 4 & 5:
1. Plot the 7 points on the grid.
2. Draw a straight line of best fit through the points.
Bat Swing Speed vs. Mass of the Bat 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 0 250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 Bat Swing Speed (mph) Mass of the Bat (grams)
Question 6: Making a Prediction
Use your line of best fit to predict how fast the batter could swing a bat that weighs 779 grams. Mark your spot on the graph.
Predicted Swing Speed:
mph
OpenSciEd Unit 8.1 • Forces and Collisions Page 2 of 4
Part 2 Continued & Part 3
Why Heavier Bats Swing Slower & Collision Tests
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Question 7: Explaining Bat Speed (Cause and Effect) Cause & Effect Guide
If a batter pushes with their maximum force on every bat, why does a heavier bat swing slower? Fill in the missing ideas in the chain below.
1. Batter Pushes →
The batter pushes as hard as possible, giving a fixed amount of energy to the bat during the swing:
2. Heavier Objects →
A bat with more mass is harder to speed up (accelerate). The same force makes a heavier bat:
3. Final Speed
Kinetic energy depends on mass and speed (\(KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2\)). If the energy is the same, more mass means:
In your own words: Why does swing speed decrease when bat mass increases?
3
Which Has a Bigger Effect: Bat Mass or Swing Speed?
Scientists tested which change makes a hit baseball fly faster: using a heavier bat, or swinging a bat faster. Look at both tables below.
Test A: Changing Bat Weight (Same Swing Speed)
| Bat Weight (g) |
Ball Speed After Hit (mph) |
| 570 |
68.5 |
| 710 |
73.0 |
| 850 |
76.2 |
| 990 |
78.6 |
| 1,140 |
80.4 |
Test B: Changing Swing Speed (Same Bat Weight)
| Bat Swing Speed (mph) |
Ball Speed After Hit (mph) |
| 20.5 |
60.2 |
| 27.3 |
68.8 |
| 34.3 |
76.2 |
| 41.0 |
83.8 |
| 47.9 |
91.4 |
Question 8: Comparing the Two Tests Math Help
Use the numbers in the tables to find out which change caused a bigger increase in ball speed. Do the math below:
Doubling Bat Weight (570 g → 1,140 g):
Final Speed - Starting Speed:
80.4 - 68.5 = mph increase
Increasing Swing Speed (20.5 → 47.9 mph):
Final Speed - Starting Speed:
91.4 - 60.2 = mph increase
Conclusion: Which factor increased ball speed more? Why?
Question 9: High Altitude Baseball (Coors Field in Denver)
Coors Field is located 5,200 feet above sea level, where the air is thinner (there are fewer air particles). How would the ball speeds at Coors Field compare to a stadium at sea level? Why?
OpenSciEd Unit 8.1 • Forces and Collisions Page 3 of 4
Part 4 & Synthesis
Bat Materials & Game Strategy Decision
Student Name:
4
Bat Materials and Collisions
Major League Baseball only allows wooden bats. College baseball allows metal bats. But high-power titanium bats are banned in almost all leagues.
A coach makes this claim:
“Titanium bats are banned because the metal bends (deforms) less during a hit. This creates a stronger peak force, transferring more energy so the ball flies off much faster.”
WARNING!
BALLS HIT WITH THIS TITANIUM BAT MAY COME OFF HARDER AND QUICKER WHICH MAY REDUCE REACTION TIME FOR PLAYERS. FAILURE TO ALERT COULD RESULT IN INJURY.
Question 10: Checking the Evidence Evidence Check
Does the warning label support both parts of the coach's claim? Fill in the chart:
| Part of Coach's Claim |
Supported by Label? |
Evidence from Warning Label |
| Part 1: The bat hits balls harder and faster |
[ ] YES [ ] NO |
Quote words from the label: |
| Part 2: The bat bends (deforms) less during a collision |
[ ] YES [ ] NO |
Does the label mention bending or deforming? |
Question 11: Bending and Springing Back
When an object bends (deforms) less in a collision, does it snap back faster or slower than an object that bends a lot? Why?
Objects that bend less snap back: [ ] Faster [ ] Slower
Explain your reasoning (Think about contact time and energy lost to heat):
Question 12: Game Strategy Decision (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) Final Decision
Imagine you are coaching a baseball team. Look back at all the factors we analyzed: (1) Wind, (2) Stadium altitude, (3) Bat weight, (4) Swing speed, or (5) Bat material. Which ONE factor would you focus on the most to help your team win? Explain using evidence.
My Claim: The most important factor to adjust for is:
Evidence (What data or numbers from this test support your choice?):
Scientific Reasoning (Explain using forces, kinetic energy, or collisions why this matters most):
OpenSciEd Unit 8.1 • Forces and Collisions Page 4 of 4
