Things like Badminton rackets, Tennis rackets, golf clubs, softball bats and hockey sticks. I know its light and all but what are the other reasons why is it used as a stick to hit objects? Can someone give me a detailed answer? Edit: Is tensile strength an important factor to making these sticks if so why?
In: Engineering
Someone else mentioned it but besides being lighter, it doesn’t transmit the shock of the impact to your joints like steel or aluminum will. The reality is any athlete can hold a hollow metal bat without any sort of challenge to their strength. Bat something with metal and then carbon fiber, you will notice a big difference. This is one reason carbon fiber is nice for road bicycles, it is strong, that it will not break, while flexing under you. The reason for this is while metals have atoms lined up in a crystalline formation, which gives it strength, that thing that gives it strength makes it extremely rigid. Carbon fiber is made up by many sheets of carbon, which can flex under load and return to the original shape after the load is gone.
Have you ever seen a picture of a glider landing? The wings look like they are bent in the middle!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC2yCoBQfDA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC2yCoBQfDA)
So, if that was traditional aluminum that force would be transmitted into the fuselage of the aircraft, which in that application would be undesirable. Quick note, most gliders are composite fiberglass, not carbon fiber, but it is the same basic idea. In fact, the 787 and a350 use carbon fiber extensively both for its weight savings, strength, and the ability to flex under load.
So, if you have a composite bat, and you are hitting baseballs all day, the energy that is absorbed by the bat by flexing and returning to normal shape, that is not being absorbed by your joints, will reduce fatigue and injury in the athlete.
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