Are There Any Middle School Baseball Science Fair Projects?

If you're looking for a fun baseball science project, you may be interested in the 'pendulum weight' experiment, which looks at the physics behind a moving baseball.

Baseball science experiment
This experiment will require you to examine and explore the motion of a baseball (both with and without spin).

Here's how to start the experiment off:

• Secure a baseball using a piece of string and some Sellotape. Make sure you're able to swing the ball freely.
• Draw a grid on a piece of cardboard, using a ruler.
• Swing the ball whilst you're holding it above the grid - then measure its motion against the grid.
• You can even time the baseball's swings using a stopwatch.
• Record your results.

The next part of the experiment will look at how a spinning ball reacts differently to the swinging ball:

• Twist the string tied to the ball, lift it along one of the grid lines, and let it go.
• Repeat the steps you carried out with a non-spinning ball.

How does a spinning ball's motion vary? Does this tell you anything about the way a baseball pitcher throws a ball?