Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello.
I am sending you an email asking if I would be able to interview someone with a set of my questions.
My project is due tommorow, Friday January 15, 2010.

My questions are:

1. Why is it useful for a golf ball to have dimples, rather than just being flat?

2. What are the differences between different golf clubs? ex.driver, iron, ect.

3. If a golf ball recieves backspin, will if travel farther than a ball that is hit with frontspin?

4. Will the distance drastically change if the grass is wet or damp when playing?

5. Will mutating the ball such as cutting or denting then change the overall distance the ball can travel?

Thank you for your replies on such short notice.

Muges

sorry Muges, but for future reference, Science Buddies' experts are hear basically for troubleshooting, not to answer homework questions. We really want to help students so that they will be able to figure out the answers for themselves. Please let me know if you have any troubleshooting questions about this project that I may assist you with.

good luck,
scienceexpert123

Scienceexpert123,
These are questions to be answered in the form of an interview, not just for the "homework questions." If you could please answer them, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,
Muges

Hi,

If this is not for homework purposes, we are still able to provide guidance but not necessarily just give you the answers. Also, I don't think we can give interviews that include our contact info, but doing so anonymously should be fine.

Originally, golf balls were perfectly spherical, but then golfers started to notice that nicked up balls could be hit farther. This has to do with aerodynamics. You can read more about this at:

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question37.htm

Thank you sciencebuddy,

The point of the project is to receive an interview from an expert (says our teacher) and we only need the username of the interviewer and the date.
If you could please please answer my interview questions or direct me to a site where I would be able to interview an expert, I would greatly appreciate that.

Muges

Hey there,

Here is the policy on interviews laid out by science buddies:

(1) The posting of your personal contact information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, instant messaging IDs, etc. is prohibited to protect your safety and privacy.

(2) Please do not ask the Experts for their contact information. All communication at Ask an Expert takes place within the Forums in order to protect the safety and privacy of those who use the Forums. That means that if you ask questions, the Expert(s) will respond to them here in the Forums.

(3) Post your interview questions AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE your due date (earlier is even better!), otherwise it is unlikely you will get answers in time. While we have a diverse group of Experts who volunteer in the Forums, most of them check the Forums once a week, and we do not have an Expert in every single possible area of science. For this reason, if you do not receive a response to your questions within 48 hours, please make alternative arrangements/seek out an expert elsewhere.

(4) Please do NOT post background research questions about your project. Examples of background research questions are: "What ingredients are in bread?" "What is DNA and how does it replicate?" "Why do plants need the sun to survive?" "How does an electric motor work?" It is the student's job to try and answer such questions by doing their own research. Interview questions should be about the expert being interviewed, NOT questions you want to have answered about your project. Examples of good and relevant interview questions are: "How long have you worked in this field?" "Why did you become a scientist?" "What do you like most about being a biologist?" "I think my project is useful and important because [discuss why you think it is useful]. Do you agree?"

If you are having trouble finding a resource to answer a background research question, or you don't understand a particular concept, it is fine to ask a more specific question AFTER doing your best to figure it out on your own. However, such questions still do not make good interview questions. Please ask those questions in a different post under the same topic.

(5) You will have the most success if you make your questions relatively general (i.e. instead of asking specific questions about chocolate, ask about working in chemistry or physics). Questions that are too specific will potentially go unanswered unless the Expert happens to work with exactly the topic mentioned. Your interview questions might ask about working in a certain field (physics, chemistry, etc.), or how the Expert became interested in science, etc.




I think the issue here is (4). Your questions, which are certainly difficult ones, should still be attainable through your own work. I've offered an answer to one of your questions, but it was by a simple google search. I urge you to do the same, and come back if you have difficulty finding the answers to the other questions OR you don't understand something.

Thank you