In a collision without friction at the contact surface, there can be no force along the surface by definition.UMath1 said:When a ball is bounced against a wall at an angle why is that the wall only applies a normal force perpendicular to the collision location? Shouldn't the force applied by the ball against the wall be along the line at which it travels, at an angle? Then by that logic, by Newton's 3rd Law, shouldn't the wall's force be in the same direction?
Orodruin said:without friction at the contact surface, there can be no force along the surface by definition.
UMath1 said:Ball bounces follow an almost perfect reflection trajectory.
In the context of Snooker / Billiards, the friction is a very relevant factor and that situation is one of the nearest to ideal. If it were not, there would be no point (it would be impossible to do) in giving a ball spin.UMath1 said:Ok. Why is friction a minimal force in a non-ideal situation though? Ball bounces follow an almost perfect reflection trajectory.
The force that causes a ball to bounce is the force of gravity. When a ball is dropped, it is pulled towards the ground by the force of gravity. As it hits the ground, the ground exerts an equal and opposite force on the ball, causing it to bounce back up.
The direction of a ball's bounce changes because of the conservation of energy. When a ball bounces, it loses some of its energy to the ground as heat and sound. This reduces the height of the bounce and changes the direction of the ball's motion.
The surface affects the direction of the ball's bounce by either absorbing or reflecting the energy of the ball. Soft surfaces, such as grass, absorb more energy, resulting in a lower and shorter bounce. Hard surfaces, such as concrete, reflect more energy, resulting in a higher and longer bounce.
Yes, the weight of the ball does affect the direction of the bounce. Heavier balls have more momentum and therefore will bounce higher and in a different direction compared to lighter balls.
The angle of the ball's bounce can be predicted to some extent by using the laws of physics, such as the law of conservation of energy and the law of conservation of momentum. However, external factors such as air resistance and imperfections in the surface can also affect the angle of the bounce, making it difficult to predict accurately.