Why Does a Football Rotate in Flight?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter barryj
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Rotate
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
3 replies · 1K views
barryj
Messages
856
Reaction score
51
When a football is first thrown it is usually tip up but during the trajectory, the ball tends to rotate where the tip is pointing down. Why does this occur?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What does this mean?
 
Never mind, I understand.
 

Similar threads

High School Understanding the Football Rotation Axis: A Gr. 10 Student's Explanation
  • bassbreaker
  • · Replies 2 ·
  • Mechanics
Replies
2
Undergrad Why Does a Ball Rotate When Thrown and What Forces Keep it in the Air?
  • student34
  • · Replies 17 ·
  • Mechanics
Replies
17
Undergrad Explaining Football Physics to a 12 Year Old
  • daniel_i_l
  • · Replies 1 ·
  • Mechanics
Replies
1
Graduate Precession of a football in flight
  • tjs53
  • · Replies 8 ·
  • Optics
Replies
8
How Many Revolutions Does a Football Make in a Perfect Spiral Pass?
  • leezak
  • · Replies 1 ·
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Why Does the Balance Arm Rotate if the Total Torque Is Zero?
  • Saitama
  • · Replies 10 ·
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
10
High School Why Does a Pen Bounce Higher When Dropped Vertically Compared to Horizontally?
  • consciousness
  • · Replies 7 ·
  • Mechanics
Replies
7
High School Why Does a Planet Rotate and What Factors Influence Its Angle of Rotation?
  • ninad
  • · Replies 18 ·
  • Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology
Replies
18