Simulations and Setup

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to another week of my senior project journey! Last week, I ran the simulations and established a controlled constant of how to expect a soccer ball to move when launched. This week, I compiled the data into one Google spreadsheet and measured the distance the balls traveled off a straight line from the kick position. To determine the distance, I had to scale up the measurements I was taking from the screenshots on my computer. 

To scale up the measurements on my computer, I first did a quick search for how big the soccer goal was, and how big the penalty area was. With these measurements in mind, I was able to know how much I needed to multiply to scale my measurements up. Unfortunately, given how every screenshot size was different in size, I had to repeat measurements and scaling 37 times to make sure everything was accurate. It first would begin with how wide the soccer goal posts were for the penalties, which would then be used to divide the actual width of the soccer goal post. The number would be taken and multiplied by what I measured with the distance the soccer ball steered off the straight line of where the ball launcher was placed. The free kick and corner kicks, It was dependent on how dimensions of the penalty area. These scales helped me establish how much spin can affect a ball steering off of a straight line.  In the end, everything checked out, as the lower the speed a ball is launched or kicked out, the spin tends to affect the ball steering off course due to rotational kinetic energy and conservation of energy. 

After finishing compiling the data, I began designing a setup for how I would conduct my in-person experiment. Going over with Mr. Adams, I pitched the idea of using my current iPhone, my old iPhone, my dad’s iPhone, and a motion camera to watch the ball’s trajectory and flight. The iPhone was the right option in my mind because it has a slow-motion feature, perfect for the experiment. I concluded that I would need to buy just one motion camera as one to be put on the ball launcher itself. As for the positioning, I would have one phone on the side, which would provide a reference frame from the side. There will be another phone that faces the ball launcher as well as the motion camera facing out from where the balls will be launched. It gives me the reference frames in this direction as well as makes it easier to track where the ball’s spin rate. Lastly, I would have the old phone that is on the ground to give a bug’s eye view of the action, giving a unique view and helping to also track the ball’s movements. Mr. Adams also recommended buying a clock, so the actions can be synchronized and help me save time when compiling the data from the actions. 

As my Senior Project entered the next phase, I continued to read more about the Magnus Effect and Bernoulli’s Principle through the textbooks I had from middle and high school physics, as well as the books bought for this project.

See you next week!