Calculating Force Exerted on a Baseball by a Pitcher

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the force exerted on a baseball by a pitcher when the ball is thrown straight up at a speed of 21.0 m/s. The problem involves understanding the relationship between acceleration, distance, and force, with specific values provided for mass and distance moved by the pitcher's hand.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of kinematic equations to find acceleration, with one participant attempting to apply the equation V^2=Vo^2 +2a(delta)x. There is also a focus on identifying the correct forces acting on the baseball.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem. One participant has calculated the acceleration and net force but questions the accuracy of their result. Guidance has been offered regarding the distinction between net force and the force exerted by the pitcher.

Contextual Notes

There is an emphasis on understanding the forces acting on the baseball, particularly the need to consider additional forces beyond the pitcher's exertion, such as gravity. Participants are also navigating the implications of the distance moved by the pitcher's hand in the context of the problem.

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A baseball pitcher throws a ball straight up into the air at a speed of 21.0 m/s. In the process, he moves his hand through a distance of 1.40 m. If the ball has a mass of 0.150 kg, find the force he exerts on the ball to give it this upward speed.

My problem is that I don't know where to use the 1.40m. I assume I have to find the acceleration somehow and then plug it into F=ma but every method I try seems to fail. Thanks for the help.
 
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What have you tried? You have the initial and final speed and the distance; that's all you need to find the acceleration. (You may need to review your kinematic equations.)
 
I used V^2=Vo^2 +2a(delta)x

and found acceleration to be 157.5.

then i used F=ma= (.150)*(157.5) abd got the answer to be 23.625. Apparently this is within 10% of the correct answer but not quite right. Any ideas what's wrong?
 
You are asked to find the force the pitcher exerted on the ball. You calculated the net force. What other force acts on the ball?
 

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