45 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science
most people know that if you toss a basket ball in the air with "backspin", it will hit the ground and bounce towards you, if you use "forward spin" it will bounce away from you. However, it you spin the ball on your finger tip, like the Harlem Globetrotters, and drop the ball, it will hit the ground and reverse its spin, why is that?
Comment by propostor at 26/04/2023 at 17:31 UTC
62 upvotes, 1 direct replies
When it hits the ground, it compresses a little at the Impact point, causing the rotation contact to become a friction contact, which then "bounces" against itself and reverses the rotation.
Comment by fiddle-dee-dee at 26/04/2023 at 21:19 UTC
10 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The spin will also be reversed when bouncing in your first two examples.