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Use the ForceMar 31 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This will give you a better idea as to the type of bowling ball you should buy. Though weight is important, other things make a bigger difference.
For a little while, I have been trying to find a place to put this epinion on bowling. I have finally given up, so I will just put it here. What I really want to talk about is the physics involved in throwing a bowling ball, but since choosing a bowling ball is a vital aspect of that topic, I will discuss that too. First, the physics Some of you might not even realize just how much physics is involved in bowling. However, force, energy, and momentum, all revolve around physics, and are necessary in bowling. Force Once the bowling ball hits the lane, force gets much more complicated. You have to deal with friction(in more than one direction), rotational motion, counterweights in the ball, etc. However, in the throw, force is much simpler. The main equation that is involved is force = (.5)(mass of ball)(velocity^2)/(radius of swing), or F = .5mv^2 over r. The heavier the ball, the greater the force. The greater the speed, the greater the force. Energy Time to discuss the swing in greater detail. Thanks to the law of conservation of energy, we have the equation: total initial energy=total final energy. For our purposes, KE denotes Kinetic Energy, PE denotes Potential Energy, i is initial, and f is final. Taking the conservation a step further, we get KEi+PE=KEf+PEf. KE is determined by .5mv^2 and PE by m(gravity)(height). KEi=0 because the ball is not in motion, and PEf=0 because you should release the ball at h=0. This yields: mghi=.5mv^2. We can cancel the mass, and the final equation for velocity is square root(2ghi). Notice how the mass of the ball does not influence the velocity. All that matters is the initial height of the ball. If you release the ball at a hf greater than 0, the equation for v=square root(2g(hi-hf)). What all of this means is that in order to get the maximum v, release the ball at the bottom of the swing. Plugging this v back into our other equations, our F and KE are maximized with the maximum v. Although m will also increase these values, since v is squared, v is more important. Therefore, get the heaviest ball you can find, that you can still throw at the bottom of the swing. The most important thing about this section, is that you don't need to try to propel the ball forwards; just let gravity do the work, and you won't wear out. Momentum Momentum is a lot trickier because again, we have to deal with rotational motion. I am not going to dive deep into this subject because I don't like momentum. All you need to know is that by increasing either the mass or velocity of the ball, momentum increases. As long as you can throw the ball with a constant v, thanks to the section on Energy, get a heavy ball to increase momentum. The higher the momentum, the higher your scores. Choosing a ball Bowling balls have a number of different characteristics: Material, hook value, weight, and of course, price. As you can imagine, the greater the price, the better the ball. For opinions on specific balls, you will need to check out other members' advice. No matter what you get, you should get finger inserts. Also, this is just basic advice that should get you started in the right direction. Before you either buy your ball, or get it drilled, you should go to the salesman to find your specific needs. This person will hopefully have the skill to help you choose the ball that is perfect for you. Bowling shops are usually much more helpful than sporting equipment stores, so go there to get the advice and equipment. Beginners If you just want your own ball so that you don't have to struggle finding the right combination between weight and fit, this will help. You don't need an expensive ball because you won't be doing anything fancy. You will probably want the ball to be drilled in the traditional manner. Although fingertip is a bit better, that type of drilling is designed more for hook. You don't need to really worry about hook value, again because you aren't doing anything fancy. Get the heaviest ball you can comfortably swing. Also, make sure it is aesthetically pleasing. Other bowlers In this case, you will want something better. You will need to spend more because you are going to want to put hook on the ball. Again, get the heaviest ball you can comfortably swing. You will want a better hook number, so definitely go for something with at least 10. Get your ball drilled in the fingertip style. If you can, get something that looks nice, but don't focus on it. Looks won't improve your score. Hopefully, this will help you not only pick the right ball, but know how/when to swing it. Good luck, and I hope you get those strikes and spares.  |
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