Physics in Softball/Baseball Physics LESSON | Page 3

Newton's first two laws

Newton's 1st Law of Motion can be seen in the process of batting. Newton's 1st Law of Motion states: an obejct at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an outside net force. This law is seen in batting in baseball/softball because as the ball, the object, is put into motion towards the batter it will remain at its constant horizontal velocity; the Vx stays constant since there is no outside horizontal net forceand the Vy changes though because of the gravitational force acting down vertically on the ball. The ball will continue this way that is unless the batter hits the ball. The bat making contact with the ball is an outside net force that alters the motion and velocity the object, the ball, is going in.