Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Dear Expert,
I conducted an expirement about the importance of dimples on a golf ball. I found out that the dimples help produce lift because of the way the air moves both over and under the ball. I also found out how the dimples affect the flight of the ball. However, I wanted to expand on the idea of spheres flying through the air. So, can you explain how the stiches on a baseball help it fly through the air?
Thank you.

Hi Ian LT-IN,

Welcome to the Ask an Expert forums.

Your question is an interesting one. You are right that the stitches on a baseball change the aerodynamic properties of the baseball's flight through the air. The fact that the ball is spinning and, unlike the dimples on a golf ball, the stitching is not uniformly distributed around the ball, further complicates the problem. These two articles have sections about how the stitches on a baseball affect the drag acting on the baseball:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airpla ... force.html (see also https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airpl ... ldrag.html)
http://illumin.usc.edu/printer/41/curve ... e-pastime/