The coefficient of restitution of the average golf ball is 0.6, meaning if we drop (u=0) the golf ball from a height of 10 feet (or 10 metres, doesn't matter) it will rebound to a height of 6 feet (or 6 metres), i.e., it will rebound to 6/10 of the height from which it was dropped.If you throw the golf ball towards the ground (u>0) you will affect the proportional height to which it rebounds not because you have changed the coefficient of restitution, but because you have increased the velocity (v) at impact, however, it does not matter how hard you throw the golf ball, you will not affect its acceleration (a), you will only directly affect its initial velocity (u).
Acceleration (a) of the golf ball is dependent on two factors: gravity of 32 feet per second-squared or 9.8 metres per second-squared; and the drag coefficient imposed on the golf ball by wind resistance, which for this exercise we'll set at 0.5, a not unreasonable figure for a golf ball.
The weight of the golf ball is the industry standard 1.6oz, or 45.3grams.
You are standing on top of the building on the left. Your friend is standing on top of the building on the right. If you simply dropped the golf ball from a height of 170 feet, given a COR of .6, the golf ball should theoretically rebound to a height of 102 feet. It would therefore be quite feasible for you to throw the golf ball with enough initial velocity (u) to have the golf ball return to its initial starting point, 170 feet off the ground.
Between the two buildings you will notice there is a road and a sidewalk (footpath) upon which cars are driving and people are walking. At the base of your building (the left one) there is a parking lot. What with it being a Friday and the parking lot servicing a nearby government building (yours), there are an abudance of empty parkings spots within the lot.
Remember, you are standing on top of the building on the left, at the base of which is a reasonably empty parking lot. You also have a golf ball in your hand, in case you hadn't yet worked that out already. Your friend is standing exactly 100 feet away from you, on top of the adjacent 170 foot tall building.
Now, the question is, if you throw the golf ball down into the parking lot, 170 feet below, do you reckon you could nail one of the cars?
Now, the question is, if you throw the golf ball down into the parking lot, 170 feet below, do you reckon you could nail one of the cars?
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4 comments:
I sure do have some interesting comments in my Blog, and from intriguing, mysterious people too. Perhaps I should work out how to prevent people from making anonymous comments, although this would disuade some of the more legimiate posters from posting too. Alas, these are trouble times we live in. That's why I drink Miller Genuine Draught.
Cap'n.
You have to sign in, not do the email post or anything~ and on the page where you write up your post, there are the tabs that say "Posting, Settings" (etc.)
choose settings.
then, under the settings tab, there are the sub things... "basic, publishing,formatting, comments" (etc)
Choose comments. Then, down the middle of that page, it says "show word verification for comments"
choose "Yes" ~ then save the changes, and republish your blog.
by changing to the "yes" setting, people leaving comments on your blog will be required to complete a word verification step, kind of like the one that you had to do when the blog was set up.
okay, like Liz had to do ;) but you get my drift. This (helps) stop the autoposting bots.
:D
I guess it is a hypothetical, on account of me having a hypothetical golf ball and not a physical one :)
And thanks to Little Chicken for the assist. I'm gonna miss those funny comments, especially that one about Angelina Jolie.
I like Angelina Jolie :)
I also like Miller Genuine Draught :)
oh... and yes, I think I'd hit a car.
and more than likely it would be my own.
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