Finding the Sweet Spot

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
In this activity, learners will discover how to find the "sweet spots" on a baseball bat. Whenever an object is struck, it vibrates in response. These vibrations travel in waves up and down the length of the object. At one point, called "the node," the waves always cancel each other out. The "sweet spot" is actually a node!

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 18
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • a bat
  • a hammer
  • a friend

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
      • Potential and Kinetic Energy
    • Motion and Forces
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Wave Properties
      • Wave Motion

Informal Categories

  • Sports and Exercise

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights: