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UPDATE
PHYSICS- Spin
When
ever a body or object moves through air, it experiences an aerodynamic drag force
opposing its motion. Under certain conditions a second type of force aerodynamic
lift, also will act on the object. Lift force, however, is always directed perpendicular
to the oncoming flow, not parallel to the flow as is drag force.
In sport, lift force acts on bodies and objects whose shapes or positions influence
the pattern of air flow around them. Lift force also acts on a projectile whose
spin influences the pattern of air flow around it.
To understand how aerodynamic lift force is generated, air flow relative to the
moving object must be examined. The nature of air flow past the airfoil demonstrates
the concept of lift force. As air flows past the airfoil, it flows faster over
the upper curved surface than underneath the object. Such a flow velocity difference
existing between opposites sides of an object causes a pressure difference between
the two sides. The relationship between flow velocity and pressure is an inverse
one, and is expressed in Bernoulli's principle. "Where the flow velocity
is fast, the pressure is low; where the flow velocity is slow, the pressure is
high." The existing pressure difference causes the wing shape to experience
a force directed from the region of higher pressure underneath to the region of
lower pressure on top. The direction of lift force is perpendicular to the flow
direction past the object, whereas the drag force is directed parallel to the
flow direction.
ANGLES
Angle of attack... The best angle of attack for producing the greatest lift force
with the least drag force depends on the shape of the object and the velocity
of the air flow. The angle of attack changes throughout the flight path as the
relative air flow direction changes as the object ascends then descends.
The projection angle is the angle of the center of gravity's (CG) instantaneous
velocity vector at release, measured from the horizontal. After release, the instantaneous
velocity of the angle at any instant depicts its line of flight. The Attitude
angle is the angle formed between the main plane of the object and the horizontal
ground. It represents the orientation of the implement in space and is the angle
that is most obvious to the observer.
Aerodynamic lift is created by a force acting perpendicular to the flow direction
past a projectile that is inclined to flow at some angle of attack so as to create
the necessary pressure difference between two sides of the object. Aerodynamic
lift is also created on objects projected with spin. The lift force generated
by a spinning object traveling through the air is responsible for the deviation
in the flight path from that which is expected, such as in a curve ball. Such
a lift force results from a pressure difference between opposites sides of the
ball, and this pressure difference depends on the flow-velocity difference, in
accordance with Bernoulli's principle. This particular mechanism by which lift
force is generated on a spinning ball is called the Magnus effect, and the force
of lift is sometimes referred to as Magnus Force.
To gain an understanding of this force, consider the motion of a ball thrown with
top spin. As the ball spins, it carries a thin layer of air, the boundary layer,
around with it. The ball's forward linear motion creates an air flow backward
past the ball surface. This forward-moving top boundary layer encounters the backward
flow of air past the ball. The mixing of these oppositely directed air layers
results in decreased flow velocity relative to the top surface of the ball and
a consequent increase in pressure. On the bottom side, the boundary layer is moving
backward with the ball surface due to its spin, and the backward flow of air past
the moving ball is reinforced, thus creating a lower pressure region on the bottom.
The result is a net force on the ball directed downward from the region of higher
pressure on the top to the lower-pressure region on the bottom. The effect of
this force is to cause the ball to accelerate downward at a faster rate than it
would be accelerated by gravity alone. The net force acting downward on the ball
is its weight plus the downward force of lift. Thus, top spinning balls are forced
to the ground sooner, or faster, than balls with either no spin or other spin
directions. For this reason, top spin is used for projecting balls that must fall
within a court boundary as in a tennis, table tennis, and volleyball.
A ball thrown with top spin experiences a slower air flow velocity, and thus higher
pressure on the top surface and it experiences a faster air, flow velocity and
thus lower pressure on the bottom surface. A downward directed Magnus (lift) force
is produced on the ball as a result of the pressure difference.
The Magnus force on a top spinning ball has vertical and horizontal components
that affects the flight of the ball differently at different points in its path.
Note that the relative flow changes directions as the ball changes direction.
During the descending portion of flight, the air flow is directed backward and
upward past the ball, and the Magnus force is therefore downward and backward.
This change in direction of the air flow past the object is what causes the ball
to take on a greater curve downward toward the end of its flight. The downward
component continues to augment gravity's pull accelerating the ball downward at
a greater magnitude than would gravity itself. The backward component of this
Magnus force resists the forward motion of the ball, causing it to fall at a steep
angle of approach to the ground. It is readily apparent why top spin is an effective
mechanism for restricting the horizontal distance of a ball that is traveling
at a relatively high velocity; if the ball were projected with the desired horizontal
velocity without top spin, it would travel too far before hitting the ground.
Thus a tennis player able to impart top spin to the ball can project it with a
higher velocity and still keep it in bounds. A top spinning ball also strikes
the ground at a more vertical angle than a non spinning ball, due to the greater
deviation downward near the end of its flight.
The Magnus effect is evident also on a bottom spinning balls. The lift force is
directed upward from the high pressure region below the ball toward the low pressure
zone above. Bottom spin is used to project the ball for the purpose of maximizing
the horizontal distance or time in the air or for accurate placements, as in golf,
tennis, and soccer, because the upward Magnus force causes the ball to experience
less acceleration downward due to gravity's pull a ball with another type of spin.
The net downward force experienced by a bottom spinning ball spinning ball is
its weight minus the upward Magnus force. The Magnus force acts perpendicular
to the flow direction past the ball. During the ascent an upward component of
force tends to elevate the ball and a backward component increases the resistance
against its forward motion. Near the peak of the path, the air flow is horizontal,
and the Magnus force is entirely upward. During the descent, the flow direction
past the ball is such that the Magnus force is directed upward and inward. The
upward component still resists the normal downward acceleration due to gravity,
and the forward component acts to provide a forward propulsive force on the ball.
The flight of a ball with back spin is prolonged due to the lift force. The downward
acceleration due to gravity acts over a greater period of time so that the ball
strikes the ground at a more vertical angle than a ball with no spin, but not
a steeply as a ball with top spin. The backspin on impact also tends to cause
the ball to rebound at a steeple angle, This angle depends on the angle at which
the ball strikes and the amount of skidding that occurs between the ball and rebound
surface.
Because of the angle of the club face and the patter of the swing, a golf ball
hit for distance and hit straight usually has a backspin imparted to it. Consequently
the ball is lifted toward the tail end of its flight. Because the lift force acts
to keep the ball in the air longer, there is less need to project it with a larger
vertical velocity component, which also serves to keep the ball in the air longer.
Therefore long shots such as drives should be projected with more horizontal velocity
on club impact than shots with middle or short irons
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