Physics of the Sweet Spot on a Baseball Bat :: physics sport sports baseball

The focus of my research is isolating and locating the "sweet spot" on a baseball bat. I chose to avoid presenting raw data, but to examine the science that causes this reaction. Participants of this sport probably have first hand or an intuitive knowledge of this saying. Locating the "sweet spot" can be done at home. A simple experiment of your on can be done using either a wood or aluminum bat. The only apparatus required is a hammer. Gripping the bat by the handle suspend perpendicular from the floor. Using a hammer, tap in various places on the barrel of the bat. As you approach the center of the barrel, vibration from the force will diminish. Vibrational modes will be detected from the hand gripping the bat. Every baseball bat has a â€Å"sweet spot.† When a baseball hits a bat in the wrong place your hands â€Å"sting,† it means the force of the collision has excited waves or vibrations called modes. When the ball is hit at the node it will not sting your hands. A mode generates two nodes or a position of zero displacement. A baseball bat consists of two major nodes; this region is proverbially known as the â€Å"sweet zone.† Higher frequency modes affect the ball speed, but can hardly be felt by the batter. Baseball bat vary in lengths, but generally the â€Å"sweet spot† is approximately 17 cm from the end of the barrel of a major league baseball bat. A collision near the node reduces the vibrations felt by the hand. The existence of the â€Å"sweet spot† is mainly because the vibrations do not agitate at that particular node. Impact on the first node will not excite the first mode, but will affect the second mode. Thus is true for the second node’s relationship with the first mode. Close to where the point of percussion occurs is the â€Å"sweet spot.† According to a study done by H. Brody at the Physics Department of the University of Pennsylvania, â€Å"A bat of mass M and with initial velocity zero can be treated as a free-body that is hit by a ball whose momentum changes due to the interaction.† At the time of percussion the bat will oscillate which indicates a transferal of kinetic energy into vibrational energy and some kinetic energy is lost. When all this occurs it is an extremely aggressive action. The bat has a massive force on the ball changing the direction and speed. EQUATIONS Newtons Second Law of Motion "An unbalanced force causes an object to move in the direction of the force.