My teacher told me he calls this a "baseball question"... why?!

Koskesh

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
A tourist being chased by an angry bear is running in a straight line toward his car at a speed of 4.0 m/s. The car is distance d away. The bear is 26 m behind the tourist and running at 6.0 m/s. The tourist reaches the car safely. What is the maximum possible value for d?


This problem doesn't need to be solved but my teacher asked in class WHY he would call this a "baseball question"

It wasn't homework but I'm curious now... I have no idea? Any ideas?

Borek

I am not sure, but... have you ever seen a baseball match?

Koskesh

Certainly have. Not so sure how this bear chasing a man problem applies...

Borek

What if the bear has a ball in its mouth?

mgb_phys

In baseball can't you throw a ball at a running player before he reaches a base?

davieddy

This is all a bit American for me (UK) but isn't there a baseball team called the "Bears"?

skeptic2

Have you asked your teacher?

mgb_phys

Me too but I thought the difference between rounders and baseball was that you could throw the ball at a player to get them out before they reached the base.
So speed of player, speed of ball and distance to base would come into it.

timmay

You can either tag a runner by catching him with the ball in his hand, or by throwing the ball to the base s/he is running to before the runner arrives.

So you could either say it's a baseball question if the player with the ball is much faster than you are (relatively unlikely IMO, even though that's probably what he means) or because it's a question of how far it's possible to run and still arrive before the ball does. If that distance is less than the distance from you to the next base, don't even think about it!

TVP45

It's called a "rundown". Here's an example showing success for the runner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WNumoheW-8

Redbelly98

I think that's it. The runner is slower than the thrown ball, just as the tourist is slower than the bear. Reaching base safely is analogous to the tourist reaching the car safely before the bear gets there.