If you look at the profile of a soccer ball, depending on which quadrant you contact with, you can then impart the rotation. If you're more central to that point where the pole and the equator cross over, you will drive on a more power through the ball. And then if you go underneath, then you put backspin. If you come over the top, you can impart that forward spin. The thing is, Neil, we will learn, as we've discussed just previously in the show, each individual ball and then we will learn to adapt our skill on doing that to each individual ball.
What physics are at play in The FIFA World Cup? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore all the science of soccer with physics professor John Eric Goff. Is this year’s official ball made for scoring goals?
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/physics-of-the-2022-world-cup-with-john-eric-goff/
Photo Credit: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Photographer name), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts to listen to new episodes ad-free and a whole week early.