The Hit
Bat Type Activity

Bat Type Activity
Bat Length Activity
Coefficient of Restitution (COR) Exploration
Graphing Calculator Activity

Overview of Lesson

This activity is designed to explore how different bat lengths affect the hitting distance of the ball. Students will use various types of baseball bats to observe the effect they have on hitting distances.

Goal

Students will learn a relatively easy way to determine the effects different types of bats have on hitting distances.

Objectives

• The students will determine the average hitting distance for each bat type.

• The students will plot bar graphs of average hitting distances versus bat type.

• The students will draw conclusions about the effectiveness of various bat types based on the data collection and graphs they have made.

• The students will make inferences about the energy transformations that occur between a ball and bat, and how these vary with different bat materials.

Ohio Academic Content Standards

Materials

• Wooden bats
• Aluminum bats
• Tape measure
• Batting tees
• Softballs

Procedure

1. Divide students into groups of three. Assign each student one of the following specific tasks to begin the activity: batter, ball spotter/retriever, tape measurer. These job assignments will rotate after each student has hit the ball five times (one rotation for each bat type).

2. One student begins by hitting the ball off of the tee a total of five times (batter). The ball spotter marks the location where the ball lands, and the tape measurer records the distance in the group's data table.

3. Rotate students until each group member has hit the ball five times with each bat type.

4. Have each group determine the average hitting distance for each bat type, and plot a bar graph of average hitting distance (y-axis) versus bat type (x-axis).

5. As an extension, each group can average its data with the entire class and plot a class graph. Discuss any differences between the groups' graphs and the class graph. Why do scientists always take so many samples of data before drawing conclusions?

Evaluation

This activity can be evaluated using informal observations as students work together to perform the tasks. This is also an activity in which a formal evaluation can be registered by assessing the students on their ability to accurately collect data, plot graphs and reach conclusions. See Appendix B to evaluate graphs.