2) Double-check that you have answered all parts to each question
3) You got this!
Weather Conditions and Pitch Speed
At each level of organized baseball, there are rules in place about what type of bat and ball can be used. These rules help ensure the game play remains competitive, fair, and fun. The type of bat and ball are the two major factors that game organizers can control. But there are a lot of other factors that people claim also have a big impact on game play that cannot be controlled, such as weather conditions, location of the stadium, and the strength of the players.
Weather Conditions and Pitch Speed
Shown is a graph that shows how pitch speed is affected by wind speed. The line on the graph shows the general relationship between wind speed and pitch speed. Points A, B, and C represent three of the same type of fast pitch all thrown at the same initial speed from a pitcher’s fingertips, but under different wind conditions.
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Question 1
1.
Put the balls at these points in order from MOST wind speed & air resistance to LEAST wind speed & air resistance.
C
B
A
Before you go to the next question, SHOW AN ADULT your answer to #1. When they approve your answer, you may go to #2.
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Question 2
2.
Draw arrows (force diagrams) to show how much force the three baseballs have from the air after the ball has left the pitcher's hand.
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Question 3
3.
Which pitches (A, B, or C) would have MORE KE (kinetic energy) when they reach home plate? Use the arrows you drew in question 2 to help you.
ball A
ball B
ball C
the MOST KE when it reaches home plate
a medium amount of KE when it reaches home plate
the LEAST amount of KE when it reaches home plate
How would you design an investigation using materials we have used in class to collect evidence for all 3 pitches to support or refute your claim for question 3? (What could we do in class to determine which ball had the MOST KE if they were in different wind speeds?)
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Question 4
4.
What classroom materials could you use to represent each item?
Bat: _______
Pitcher: _______
Ball: _______
Wind: _______
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Question 5
5.
What would you use to measure data that would help your investigation?
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2 points
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Question 6
6.
My plan for setting up and carrying out my investigation (you may draw on paper to help you answer this question if you want).
Representing and Explaining the Relationships between Bat Speed and Bat Mass
Increase mass or increase speed of the bat?
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Question 7
7.
Look at the data above. Notice the speed of the ball. When we increase the mass of the bat, how much does the speed of the ball increase?
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Question 8
8.
Look at the data above. Notice the speed of the ball. When we increase the speed of the bat, how much does the speed of the ball increase?
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Question 9
9.
Use the data from the tables to determine which has a bigger effect on speed of the ball after it is hit;
increases in the mass of a bat or increases in the swing speed of the bat.
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Question 10
10.
Explain your thinking for the above question (how did you decide the answer).
Does the type of bat affect the amount of kinetic energy in the bat and ball?
Some people think it’s important to have rules about the type of bats that players can use. For example, in major league baseball, players are only allowed to use wooden bats, while in NCAA baseball, bats made from metal and other composite materials are allowed. Titanium bats, however, are banned in most baseball clubs.
A coach argues that the reason for this is that the material the bat is made of causes it to produce higher peak forces in a collision than other bats because it deforms less in a collision.
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Question 11
11.
Does the warning on the bat label shown above support both parts of the coach’s argument about forces and deformation?
Middle School Success
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Question 12
12.
What are your current grades in the following classes:
Science:_______
Social Studies: _______
English Language Arts: _______
Math: _______
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Question 13
13.
Are you happy with your grades?
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Question 14
14.
What advice would you give a friend with the same grades you have?
