Projectile Motion

First we will examine the primary factors involved with projectile motion in an ideal situation, where no air resistance is involved.

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/1350/09Mom/CoM.html

These factors are:

• Initial Velocity
• Initial Height
• Initial Angle
• Gravitational Force

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  These are the four primary factors. The initial velocity is the speed and direction of the object right as it begins its trajectory. The initial height may vary also. In the case of a baseball being struck by a bat, the initial height would not be zero but a specific distance above the ground. There is always an angle involved with projection from anything between 0 and 90 degrees. The gravitational force, which is normally assumed to be constant changes from celestial body, for example the sun has a much larger gravitational force than our moon. On earth, it is generally accepted that the acceleration caused by this force is 9.8 m/s^2 or 32 ft/s^2 or namely "g".

  

  http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Projectile.html

  There are other particular pieces of information about baseball projection. The shape that the projectile forms is called a parabola. The top of this parabola or the peak of the arc actually has a velocity of zero, which may not be intuitive to most people. Nevertheless, this fact is true that the speed of the ball is zero for a moment just before it begins its descent. However, do not mistake the point that gravity is constantly acting on the ball in the downward direction.