Re(2): Student question??

[Mark Sylvester <msylvest@SPIN.IT>]

At 13.55 02/12/99 -0500, Clarence Bennett wrote:
> >PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
> >> Perhaps some of you can
> >>> > help.  He is a tennis player and was wondering why a ball
> >>> > hit with top spin bounces higher than a ball sliced over the
> >>> > net with backspin.
> >
>
> At the Oct. meeting of the Mich local aapt meeeting, the featured speaker
> was a pool shark-physicist, whe talked about how the rebound from the
> cushion was not equal angle, and was dependent on the spin of the cue ball.
>
> The cushion is not rigid and has high friction with the ball, so the spin
> couples with the rebound energy.
> ***********************************************


...a phenomenon very well known to all of us who played for hours with
those amazing little rubber "superballs" that hop all over the place
because of a combination of high friction and elasticity. At least they
were amazing when they first came out - I guess we've got used to them.

Mark.



_____________________________________
Mark Sylvester
United World College of the Adriatic,
34013 Duino TS, Italy.
_____________________________________