How Do You Calculate the Force in Pool Ball Collisions Including Friction?

In summary, the speaker is an avid pool fan who is trying to program a pool simulation and is struggling with modeling collisions between balls. They have researched the topic but are having trouble finding information on how to calculate the force between two colliding balls. They are looking for a solution that can be implemented in their programming, specifically using the balls' linear and angular velocities. They have also looked at a resource that discusses ball friction but it does not address their specific issue.
  • #1
Bobolis
4
0
I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment and being an avid pool fan I wanted to try my hand at programming a pool simulation. Now I have the balls moving correctly whether they are sliding or rolling but I am having a little trouble getting my head round the collisions.

Ideally I want the collisions to be modeled taking into account the friction between balls and therefore use the conservation of angular momentum as well as the conservation of linear momentum. I have tried looking up everything I can on the subject but I can't seem to work out how to model it. Everywhere seems to talk about the collision force acting between the two balls but I can't seem to work out how I get this force. I realize that in reality this force happens over a period of time but for the sake of simplicity I wanted to program the collisions to be instantaneous. So what I am asking basically is how do I find out the force acting between these two balls? As it's a programming problem I ideally want this in terms of information that I can use, such as the balls linear and angular velocity. Hope that makes sense.
 
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  • #2
Before I try to give an answer to your main query, how are you slowing down the balls? Have you been able to give spins to the balls?
 
  • #3
Yeah, the motion of the balls is working fine with both linear and angular velocities. It calculates the change in position from it's previous state change (i.e. when a force is applied to it or when it changes from sliding to natural roll) as time elapses.
 
  • #4
Have a look at http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20000516/lander_pfv.htm". You may find it helpful.
 
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  • #5
Yes I have read that but unfortunately it does not deal with ball - ball friction.
 

What is the physics behind a collision of two pool balls?

The physics behind a collision of two pool balls involves the principles of conservation of momentum and conservation of energy. When two pool balls collide, the total momentum and total energy of the system remains the same before and after the collision. This means that the initial velocity and kinetic energy of the balls will be redistributed after the collision based on the mass and velocity of each ball.

Why do pool balls sometimes move in unexpected directions after a collision?

The unexpected movement of pool balls after a collision can be due to a number of factors, such as the spin or English put on the balls by the player, the friction between the balls and the table, and the imperfections on the surface of the table. These factors can alter the initial velocity and trajectory of the balls, leading to unexpected movements after a collision.

How do the masses and velocities of the pool balls affect the outcome of a collision?

The masses of the pool balls determine how much momentum and energy they have before and after the collision. The velocities of the balls, along with their masses, determine the amount of kinetic energy they have. These factors, along with the angle and direction of the collision, will determine the outcome of the collision and the resulting movement of the balls.

Why do pool balls sometimes stick together after a collision?

When pool balls stick together after a collision, it is due to the transfer of kinetic energy. If the two balls have different masses and velocities, the smaller and slower ball may stick to the larger and faster ball, resulting in a combined velocity and movement. This is known as a perfectly inelastic collision, where the two objects stick together after the collision.

How do collisions between pool balls follow the laws of physics?

Collisions between pool balls follow the laws of physics, specifically the laws of conservation of momentum and conservation of energy. These laws state that the total momentum and total energy of a system must remain constant before and after a collision. In the case of pool balls, the initial momentum and kinetic energy of the balls will be redistributed after the collision, but the total amount will remain the same.

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