How does a baseball pitcher move when throwing a baseball?
Why does a baseball pitcher wearing frictionless roller skates move toward the north when pitching a baseball toward the south? What is the calculation behind this movement?
This question is a demonstration of the conservation of momentum. When the baseball pitcher throws the ball to the south, he moves to the north to conserve momentum. His velocity can be calculated as - (0.145 kg x 46 m/s) / 76 kg, resulting in approximately 0.088 m/s.Explanation:
Detail Explanation:
This is a classic problem in Physics, demonstrating the principle of conservation of momentum. The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of a closed system without external forces is always constant, even when there're interactions between the objects inside the system. The momentum here is the product of mass and velocity.
In this case, before the pitcher throws the ball, the total momentum of the system (pitcher and ball) is zero because both are initially at rest. When the pitcher throws the ball to the south, the ball gains momentum in the southward direction. To conserve momentum, the pitcher must gain an equal amount of momentum in the opposite direction that is towards the north.
You can calculate the speed of the pitcher using the equation Momentum of the pitcher + Momentum of the ball = 0. So, the velocity of the pitcher (V) is equal to -(Mass of the ball x Velocity of the ball) / Mass of the pitcher = - (0.145 kg x 46 m/s) / 76 kg.
So, the baseball pitcher will begin moving toward the north at approximately 0.088 m/s.