How far will the GOLF BALL travel???

**paradigm23** · Nov7-09, 01:19 AM

I'm a business major, and was hoping that a few of the geniuses here could help me solve a problem!

If a golf club was afixed to the front of a train (moving 100mph & assuming no loss of compression on the part of the train), and struck a stationary golf ball (with a C.O.R. of 70%) how far would the ball travel???

I've received several different answers ranging from it wouldn't leave the golf clubhead to 200 yards.

I'd appreciate any help on the subject, and possibly how the problem is solved. I am reasonably sure conservation of momentum and kinetic energy are involved, but just don't know how to properly use the variables.

Thanks in advance to anyone interested!

**russ_watters** · Nov7-09, 09:07 AM

You can't actually calculate an answer with the information provided, but 200 yards isn't a bad guess. 100 mph is in the ballpark of the speed at which a person swings a golf club, but you don't have a launch angle there from which to calculate trajectory.

**Molydood** · Nov7-09, 09:26 AM

Unless you golf club is made out of ballistics gel then it would certainly leave the head on impact!

**WhoWee** · Nov7-09, 09:51 AM

Just for fun, and given you're a business major, if the golf ball was projected onto private property and caused damage, what would the legal ramifications include?