An experimental study of Wiffle ball aerodynamics
Rossmann, Jenn Stroud; Rau, A.
We measure the aerodynamic forces on a Wiffle ball as a function of the Reynolds number and ball orientation. The effects of asymmetric flow outside the ball and flow within the ball are considered, and are both associated with the ball’s tendency to curve without pitcher-imparted spin. The problem of Wiffle ball aerodynamics is an accessible way to introduce topics such as boundary layer separation and transition to turbulence.
↧