Events in Physics
Talking balls: Trajectories of sports projectiles
In this informal and light-hearted presentation Colin White, from the University of Portsmouth, will demonstrate, using a variety of sports equipment, a wide range of remarkable and unexpected flight phenomena. He will explore such concepts as:
· The ways in which friction, spin, drag and bounce influence projectile paths and, hence, the game plans,
· The optimum kicking strategies for rugby conversions and soccer penalty shoot-outs,
· How cricket ball swing and reverse swing occur,
· How shot put range is affected by where in the world the sports stadium is located, and even the direction of the throw.
He might also be persuaded to present his thoughts on such important issues as:
· How to play tennis in the nude safely (essential for the enthusiastic sports naturist),
· The chances of survival should your parachute fail while in freefall (maybe even more essential),
· The best pitching technique for competitive iPod throwing contests.
Sports players are emotional individuals, and so they are particularly susceptible to a range of myths and legends which surround their sport. A key aspect of this presentation will be the mathematical debunking of some of these ‘perceived wisdoms’. Examples include:
· The ‘late swing’ of a cricket ball (no such thing).
· The reduction in range when shooting a ball into a headwind (usually the range is increased).
· The optimum impact point of a snooker cue onto the cue ball (seldom the centre).
· Balls never bounce higher than they are dropped (oh, yes they do – if you are prepared to cheat a little).
Those who have seen Colin perform know that they are in for a presentation that is lively, informative, entertaining and stuffed with humorous anecdotes.
Biography
Colin White is the UK’s foremost authority on the way balls and other sports equipment fly through the air. Following a career in military ballistic science, he worked as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics; then latterly, as Principal Lecturer in the Department of Sport Science at the University of Portsmouth where he taught all aspects of sports equipment design and manufacture.