Let’s say they add a rec center on the International Space Station, complete with a baseball diamond comparable in dimensions to, say, Busch Stadium. One of the astronauts played some college ball in his day, and can pitch a decent curve.
Now, the entirety of my knowledge on how throwing a curve ball works is based on a single episode of Mythbusters; and it has something to do with the seams on the ball, and the atmosphere, and fluid dynamics, and physics, and shit I can’t even begin to understand.
So in a zero-G environment (assume the ISS pressurized to simulate the atmosphere at sea level), what would happen to a pitch? Would it have the same snappy curve that it would on the ground? Would it fly perfectly straight?
I think you answered it yourself. Gravity has nothing to do with it. The interesting question would rather be: “Can you throw a curve ball in vacuum?” and the answer to that one is “No, you can’t”.
Even though I agree with Floater, I still nominate this be demonstrated on the vomit comet. Maybe they could use a whiffle ball - those things curve great.
While fluid dynamics influence a curveball, I have to believe that the primary force working on it is gravity. Otherwise pitchers would be able to make curve balls cure upwards as dramatically as they can curve downward.
So in a weightless, pressurized environment, an pitcher could throw a ball with a little bit of curve to it – in any direction – but it will be a pretty flat curve.
ETA: now a whiffle ball - that you could get more curve on, I’m sure, because the air resistance difference from once side of the ball to the other is much greater.
Gravity has “something to do with it” in the sense that grsavity is exerting much more force on the ball and affecting its dynamics much more than differential pressure. The force required to make the ball shift left or right is going to be much less than the force needed to move it the same amunt upwards against the force of gravity.
You can throw it, and it will even curve, but it won’t be a curve ball like we think of it. The main action on a curve ball is the 12 to 6 o’clock “falling off the table” drop right before it reaches the batter. A big part of that is gravity.
I wonder how zero-g would affect the pitcher. Will he spin like a pinwheel after every pitch?
In terrestrial baseball, two forces act on the ball: gravity, and the Magnus effect which is due to the air. In a hypothetical game on the ISS, there’s no gravity, but the effects of the air are still present. A “12-6” curveball is thrown with topspin, so that the Magnus effect pulls the ball downwards along with gravity; on the ISS, a ball thrown with the same topspin would still curve downwards, but not as much. A fastball, which is normally thrown with backspin so that the Magnus effect counteracts gravity, would actually curve upwards during flight on the ISS. And an “11-5” or “2-8” curveball would break in a more horizontal direction instead of seeming to drop in flight.
All else aside, I’m pretty sure all the pitches will sail clear over the catcher’s head, what with there being no gravity to get the ball to behave like the pitcher expects it too…
Assume a 70 MPH pitch (~30 m/s) – it will travel 60 f (~20 m) in roughly 0.67 s. In this time, in Earth gravity, it would sink something like 3 meters (10 ft)* if thrown horizontally. So, in effect, a pitcher is “aiming” about 12 ft above ground when pitching. Which is exactly where the ball will end up in the absence of gravity!
It will travel a lot further if not stopped by something. As mentioned previously, the big difference in 0G is that the ball can be deflected much more in all directions. Under the influence of gravity there is an up and a down, and gravity makes it hard for things to go up. In 0G up and down are arbitraty designations.
Only if the pitcher throws it faster. That seems unlikely. In fact, unless he practiced in zero-g a lot, it seems probable he would throw it slower, since he’d be unfamiliar with how to make best use of his body in a zero-g environment. On earth, no part of the pitcher’s body stays planted on the ground throughout the pitch; it would be very difficult to achieve this in zero-g without some elaborate restraints.
There might be some tiny effects from slightly reduced friction (since the ball isn’t moving downwards at all), but I don’t think enough to notice.
Also, since the ball can be thrown straight, rather than in an arc, it will get to the target slightly faster. Not much difference for a pitch, but a long throw from the outfield to nail a runner at home will get there a little quicker.