The Physics of Ping Pong!
How to accomplish the perfect serve!
video below:
video below:
In this project, we were given the assignment to find the physics behind a sport action to help a player improve their technique. Our group decided on ping pong because it was an unique and interesting sport. Our main action was the proper serve of a ping pong ball. There are two ways to properly serve a ping pong ball, either using topspin or backspin. This project took a little over a week to plan, film, and edit our videos.
We had two main concepts we covered in our project, velocity and force. The force of the ball colliding with the paddle is 1.1N, or about 0.25 pounds. The velocity of the ball as it travels in a parabolic arch is 4.07 m/s.
We had two main concepts we covered in our project, velocity and force. The force of the ball colliding with the paddle is 1.1N, or about 0.25 pounds. The velocity of the ball as it travels in a parabolic arch is 4.07 m/s.
Concepts:
Force: The push or pull of an object, resulting in motion. We found the force of the ping pong ball connecting with the paddle was 1.1N by using the equation mass multiplied by velocity is equivalent to force multiplied by time, also known as mv=ft.
Velocity: The rate of distance traveled over a certain period of time. We found the velocity of the ball when it is moving over the net in a parabolic arch is 4.07m/s. We found this by using the equation velocity equals change in distance divided by change in time, also known as v=d/t.
Velocity: The rate of distance traveled over a certain period of time. We found the velocity of the ball when it is moving over the net in a parabolic arch is 4.07m/s. We found this by using the equation velocity equals change in distance divided by change in time, also known as v=d/t.
Reflection:
This was a great project and has taught me lots of important life skills. I learned that time management is crucial to the success of a group. Our team worked very well, although staying on task and not getting distracted was definitely our toughest obstacle. Some of the ways I could have improved myself and helped our group more would have been to take more of a leadership role and be more involved in the making of our movie. In the future I will work my hardest to improve on these tasks. This project has been very challenging, but also was very successful. I really enjoyed this project and discovered how to take videos on y camera as well as completing a proper serve. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this assignment and have learned new ways of working in a group that will improve my life skills.