Swinging for the fence at the stadium, settling for a triple and three RBIs
A batter connects with a fast pitch when the ball is exactly three feet over home plate.
Traveling a horizontal distance of 190 feet, the ball is at its maximum height of 120 feet.
Due to poor fielding, the ball leisurely drops into center field, 390 feet from home plate.
The acceleration due to gravity, measured at the field, is 32.2 feet per second squared.
Aerodynamic drag on the ball is negligible.
The trajectory of the ball is perfectly parabolic—it obeys Gravity’s Rainbow.
Find the average speed S of the fly ball, from bat to ground contact.
Find the initial angle θ, above the horizontal, that the ball departed the bat.
S = ______ feet/second θ = ______ degrees
First correct answer sent to [email protected] wins a gift card worth much ice cream at Tucker’s Ice Cream of Alameda.
Last week’s winner was Charles Twitchell, who correctly calculated that L = 33.53 units.
Jeff Smith is a former Math teacher and a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander. Reach him at [email protected].
