When a pitcher needs to throw a baseball he requieres a lot of strenght and control, being on the ground allows for the control and being able to transfer the momentum from the body to the ball.
Now, how much of that force and control could be used if the pitcher is floating in micro-gravity or zero g. How much force could it be transfered to the ball?
And according to Newtons 3rd law, how would the pitcher and the ball move in space?
In: 1
It would depend on how much the pitcher weighed. With a conventional pitching motion, the pitcher’s center of gravity would move backward at a speed which was inversely proportional to his weight, and would rotate backwards around his center of gravity. The ball would move forward with the same momentum, but its velocity would be greater than the pitcher’s, because it is so much lighter. It would be nowhere near what it would on the ground, because on earth, the pitch has a lot of time to generate power from his legs, which would not be possible without something to push on – it would be a very weak throw compared to earth. Your direction would be consistent, so you could develop accuracy, but that would take a lot of time, because the motion imparted to your body and the inability to brace against a solid surface would fuck up the aiming point and the timing of your release.
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