Impacts

Forces in a few milliseconds

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Impulse: $F\,\Delta t = \Delta p$; brief impacts mean huge forces.
• Following through keeps the striking speed high during contact.
• The sweet spot minimises wasted vibration and jolting.

Steps

1. Impulse
2. A tennis serve
3. Follow through
4. Hitting a baseball
5. Long contact
6. The sweet spot