The Magnus Effect Experiment

One scientific theory related to this experiment is the Magnus Effect. The Magnus Effect is in action when the ball is pushed from high to low pressure, which makes it curve (The Physics of Kicking a Soccer Ball). During the Magnus Effect, the passing air is moving the same direction as the surface of contact on one side of the ball. Since the person in this experiment kicked with their left foot, the ball curved to the right a little because the air moved over the ball faster on the left side, causing less pressure on the other side of the ball. All of this air movement is what makes the ball slant in a different direction. Another thing to consider is that the slower the ball is moving, the more it curves. Generally, the Magnus Effect agrees

The more force used, the farther the ball will travel. This can be determined by Newton’s Second Law, which basically states that force equals the weight of the ball times the velocity divided by the time of foot contact (Newton’s Laws). This can also be represented by the equation 1 N= 1kg x m/s^2 (What is a Newton?). Since the ball weighs approximately .5kg, the velocity is about 25 m/sec, and the time of foot contact is relatively .05 seconds, the force in each kick would be about 226.8 N (How Much Force Does the Average Soccer Player Use to Kick the Ball?). In this equation, the weight and foot contact time stayed mostly the same, which means that the velocity is what alternated when the distance ran before kicking changed. Velocity is defined as the speed of something in a certain direction (What is Velocity?). When sprinting a further distance before kicking the ball, the player can achieve a higher velocity by running at a faster speed, which can happen because the person has more room to accelerate. Acceleration means to increase in speed or velocity, which can dramatically change the overall velocity. (The Definition of Acceleration). Basically, the shift in different distances effects the velocity, which then affects the overall force of the kick, which finally effects the distance the ball is