Hit or Miss: How bat compositions changes the game
Physics and Astronomy- Grade:
- 8
- Teacher:
- Naomi Oesterle
For this science fair project, we tested whether or not the material of the baseball bat determines the exit velocity of the baseball. We wondered which bat would work the best for hitting the ball the farthest. We tested 7 baseball bats including one Blitzball bat, one wooden bat, and five composite bats. First, we began brainstorming ideas and discussing who would bring each bat that is made up of a different material. We gathered items we knew we would need. We brought in 3 stop watches, a 200 foot tape measurer to travel how far the baseball went. We brought baseballs, an L screen, and seven bats. We used two different pitchers and 2 hitters, each one had 3 pitches per bat. One hit with 4 bats, the other 3. When the batter hit the baseball with the different materials, we measured the distance the ball traveled, along with how long the ball was in the air. We recorded 3 different times and averaged them together. We put all of our measurements into a chart and figured out which bat worked the best. We determined that the Hypefire Easton Composite bat was the most effective. It had an average time in the air for 2.16 seconds. It had a speed of 20.53 m/s, distancing 43.34 meters. For most advanced athletes, a composite bat would work the best for their best performance.