Author Question: How to calculate time in flight for a baseball pitch? (Read 1592 times)

mydiamond

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 804
Starting speed: 89.6 mph
Ending speed: 77.7 mph
Distance travelled: 55 feet

How can I calculate the time in flight?
Is it possible to make an Excel formula so I can just plug in the numbers?



clippers!

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 828
Well, you know distance, v1, v2, and acceleration.

Try this equation:

d = t*(v2-v1)/2

Isolate for t.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question

Garrulous

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 686
Sure.  Start with the basic position/acceleration formula:

x= v0(t) + 1/2a(t^2)

x=55/5280 (to put it in miles), v0=89.6, and a=average acceleration = change in velocity/change in time = 11.9mph/t

pump these in the formula and you get

55/5280 = 89.6t + (5.95/t)(t^2)

55/5280= 89.6t + 5.95t

Notice that the nasty t^2 term gets taken care of by the /t you carried in from the a formula, so rearrange this to isolate t and you have your answer:

(55/5280)/(89.6+5.95)

The excel formula should look like this:

(distance in miles)/(starting speed in mph + 1/2 the change in speed in mph)  = time in hours.

I'll assume you can do the unit conversion if you want this is seconds, and since you're going to code this I won't bother to punch the calculator for you.



 

Did you know?

No drugs are available to relieve parathyroid disease. Parathyroid disease is caused by a parathyroid tumor, and it needs to be removed by surgery.

Did you know?

Atropine was named after the Greek goddess Atropos, the oldest and ugliest of the three sisters known as the Fates, who controlled the destiny of men.

Did you know?

When blood is deoxygenated and flowing back to the heart through the veins, it is dark reddish-blue in color. Blood in the arteries that is oxygenated and flowing out to the body is bright red. Whereas arterial blood comes out in spurts, venous blood flows.

Did you know?

Fewer than 10% of babies are born on their exact due dates, 50% are born within 1 week of the due date, and 90% are born within 2 weeks of the date.

Did you know?

The largest baby ever born weighed more than 23 pounds but died just 11 hours after his birth in 1879. The largest surviving baby was born in October 2009 in Sumatra, Indonesia, and weighed an astounding 19.2 pounds at birth.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library