Trajectory of a Baseball Based on Batted Ball Exit Velocity and Launch Angle
Baseball’s most exciting result is the homerun. The game pays its stars millions of dollars to hit balls far out of the stadium at high velocities, some even reaching above 100 miles per hour. This simulation will aim to try and find the parameters for the homeruns based on batted ball exit velocity and launch angle. The trajectory of a batted ball varies heavily based on the exit velocity and the launch angle of the batted ball.[1] The trajectory of a batted ball can be simulated using Newton’s 2nd law and three forces: the force of gravity, the magnus force (or lift force), and the drag force. [2].This project will aim to simulate the trajectory of a batted ball based on a user input of exit velocity and launch angle. Since the trajectory is influenced by both factors [2], this simulation will aim to explore the parameters needed for a batter to hit a homerun through different launch angles as well as different exit velocities. The first code submission will aim to accurately calculate the trajectories by a batted ball and plot them on a graph vs time. The second submission will try to integrate these trajectories and animate them.