Who Experiences Greater Force and Impulse in Baseball, Pitcher or Catcher?

[JerG90]

Homework Statement

Baseball -force and impulse- question

A pitcher throws a baseball to a catcher in a straight line, like any ordinary pitch. Assuming that the ball arrives to the catcher at the same speed as the pitch is thrown, which player ends up attaining a larger force, the pitcher or the catcher? And, which player ends up having the larger impulse on the ball?

Homework Equations

Though there are no specific numbers used, the problem includes collision and momentum.

Perhaps F*t=P2-P1 could be used for demonstration

The Attempt at a Solution

I am sort of just confused by the problem. It seems easy, but maybe I am not understanding the principles of impulse. I believe that the catcher would acquire a greater force because the baseball would be accelerating negatively very quickly. But does this mean that the catcher also has a greater impulse?

 

[PhanthomJay]

Homework Statement

Baseball -force and impulse- question

A pitcher throws a baseball to a catcher in a straight line, like any ordinary pitch. Assuming that the ball arrives to the catcher at the same speed as the pitch is thrown, which player ends up attaining a larger force, the pitcher or the catcher? And, which player ends up having the larger impulse on the ball?

Homework Equations

Though there are no specific numbers used, the problem includes collision and momentum.

Perhaps F*t=P2-P1 could be used for demonstration

The Attempt at a Solution

I am sort of just confused by the problem. It seems easy, but maybe I am not understanding the principles of impulse. I believe that the catcher would acquire a greater force because the baseball would be accelerating negatively very quickly. But does this mean that the catcher also has a greater impulse?

You've got the right equation. So what is the momentum change of the baseball during the time period it is in the pitcher's hand, from rest to the moment it leave's his hand? And what is the momentum change during the time period it is in the catcher's glove, until it stops? Which time period is greater? Compare force and impulse for each case.

 

[m2003]

I would approach this problem by first defining the terms "force" and "impulse." Force is a push or pull that causes an object to accelerate, while impulse is the product of force and the time over which it acts. In this scenario, the force and impulse are both acting on the baseball as it travels from the pitcher to the catcher.

To determine which player attains a larger force, we need to consider the direction of the force. The pitcher exerts a force on the baseball in the forward direction, while the catcher exerts a force on the baseball in the opposite direction, slowing it down. However, since the baseball arrives at the same speed it was thrown, we can assume that the forces exerted by the pitcher and catcher are equal in magnitude. Therefore, both players experience the same force.

To determine which player has a larger impulse on the ball, we can use the equation P=F*t, where P is impulse, F is force, and t is time. Since the forces acting on the ball are equal, the player who exerts the force for a longer period of time will have a larger impulse on the ball. In this case, the catcher would have a larger impulse on the ball because they exert a force on the ball for a longer period of time compared to the pitcher.

In summary, both the pitcher and catcher experience the same force when the ball is caught, but the catcher has a larger impulse on the ball due to exerting the force for a longer period of time.