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Scott McDowell

Mrs. Jacqueline Stevens

Life Science

31 January 2018

Which Type of Sports Ball Can You Kick the Farthest: Football, Soccer Ball, or Kickball?

One morning we were playing kickball with a bunch of my friends. I kicked that ball and it went

over the fence and into the lake. All of us were wondering because we can’t get the kickball back

can we use a soccer ball or a football and continue playing. Will those balls travel roughly the same

distance so the game remains fair? My experiment tested out those three balls and see which one

can travel the farthest This topic is very important to me because I love sports and want to be able

to see which ball that people kick will go the farthest. I hypothesized that,​ If people kick a football,

soccer ball, and kickball, then the soccer ball will travel the farthest.

What Factors Affect the Distance a Projectile Will Travel?

There are many different factors that affect how far each ball will travel, such as wind,

temperature, gravity,and e.t.c. Projectiles are objects such as balls, missiles, and anything you can

kick or throw. Projectiles are object which only force acting upon them is gravity. Gravity will

affect how far the projectile goes because it pulling the object to the ground. A projectile can only

be in motion in only two ways either horizontal or either vertical. The force of gravity has a vertical

force and it will not affect the horizontal motion. Those are examples of factors that will affect the

distance the projectile will travel (Henderson).

How Do You Accurately Measure the Distance a Projectile Travels?

If you were going to measure exactly how far a distance is to travel you need to calculate
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the speed of the projectile. ​To determine the distance, you can use the entire time-of-flight and the ​x

component on the initial velocity.​ There are different formulas you can use to calculate too see how

far the projectile with travel. The distance you are measuring is not how high it goes but how far it

goes. Height has no affect on how far the projectile will travel (Projectile Motion). Every projectile

in motion is eventually pulled down by gravity no matter how fast it is going. It may also be pulled

down by friction also instead of gravity. Another more simple way to measure a projectile is by

meters or yards (Projectile Lab).

What is Friction and How Will It Affect How Each Ball Will Travel?

Friction is the holding of one object in motion relating to another object. Scientists believe

that friction is not a force such as gravity but is the result of electromagnetic attraction between two

opposing forces against a surface. Friction occurs because no surface can be perfectly smooth. It

cannot be perfectly smooth because nothing is perfect in the world. Different surfaces will affect

how much friction is will be used. Such as sandpaper will have more friction than a piece of paper.

There are two specific types of motion kinetic and and static friction. Kinetic friction is the one that

will affect the motion of the ball because it is two forces in motion (Ghose).

Does the Wind Affect the Distance That a Projectile Will Travel?

The wind will definitely affect how far you kick a ball. It can either be a disadvantage or an

advantage to kick with wind. If you kick with the wind it will go farther. If you kick against the

wind it will go shorter due to gravity pulling it down. The wind puts force on the ball that pulls it

down not further. Most kickers, for football, practice kicking into the wind because it makes them

kick harder and farther so in the game it's easy to kick with the wind and against it. Wind does

affect how far the ball travels no matter what the circumstances are (Kicking).
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In Average, How Far Is Each Ball Expected to Travel When You Kick It?

​An average kick cannot be determined because they all have different air pressures, the

weight of the ball, and the surface it is on. ​Air pressure does affect how far a ball is kicked. If the

pressure is low on the ball it will go short, but if it goes long then the air pressure is higher.

According to Scientist ​Bruce Rigsby, “More energy is transferred to a stiff ball.” Most pro-athletes

can kick balls about 50 yards on a soccer field. That's rough estimate cause a lot of it depends on

the air pressure and surface (Parrish).

What Are the Differences Between How Each Ball Is Made?

All of the balls are made very differently. Footballs are usually made from pig bladder that

is inflated and shaped as a football. Colored laces are often laced into the ball after it is formed as a

football (Football). The soccer ball is made by panels being collaborated and sewed together. There

is bladder inside the ball to keep the ball from going flat quickly. It also makes it able to be kicked

farther (Emmons). Rubber balls are constructed by different materials to make the ball. Then, the

materials are shaped like a ball and is easily kicked and thrown (Gerard).

I hypothesized that, t​he soccer ball when kicked will go the farthest, but I was wrong. The

kickball in the end traveled the farthest. ​The kickball went the farthest then the soccer ball then the

football. When people kicked each ball they got a feel to the round balls than the football.
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Works Cited

Beattie, Caroline, ed. ​DK Science Encyclopedia​. London: DK, 2013. Print.

Emmons. “How Is a Soccer Ball Made?” ​Frequently Asked Reference Questions​,

Ischool, Oct. 2007, ​www.ipl.org/div/farq/soccerFARQ.html​.

“Football.” ​How Products Are Made​, Advameg Inc., 2017,

www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Football.html​.
ipl2, and Karen

Gerard, Jack. “How Are Rubber Balls Made?” ​Our Pastimes​, 2017 Leaf Group Ltd,
ourpastimes.com/rubber-balls-made-5019055.html.

Ghose, Tia. “What Is Friction?” ​LiveScience​, Purch, 4 June 2013,

www.livescience.com/37161-what-is-friction.html​.

Henderson, Tom. “Characteristics of a Projectile's Trajectory.” ​The Physics

Classroom​, The Physics Classroom, 2017,
www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/vectors/u3l2b.cfm​.

“KICKING INTO THE WIND | Join, Learn, Kick.” ​Field Goal Kicker Online​, FGK,
5 Aug. 2017, ​www.fieldgoalkicker.com/kicking-into-the-wind/

Parrish, Rogue. “How Does the Air Pressure of a Soccer Ball Affect the Distance It
Goes When Kicked?” ​LIVESTRONG.COM​, Leaf Group, 11 Sept. 2017,
www.livestrong.com/article/412822-how-does-the-air-pressure-of-a-soccer-ball-affe
ct-the-distance-it-goes-when-kicked/.

“Projectile Lab Projectiles - Horizontal Launch.” Edited by JL Stanbrough, ​Lab:

Range of a Projectile - Horizontal Launch​, 30 Oct. 2001,
www.batesville.k12.in.us/physics/PhyNet/Mechanics/Projectiles/Labs/horizontal_pr
ojectiles.htm​.
“Projectile Motion.” ​Projectile Motion​, College Physics Labs Mechanical, 2011,
www.webassign.net/question_assets/unccolphysmechl1/lab_3/manual.html​.