Science is everywhere and is one of the best predictors of future patterns. Take the example of a punter who wants to predict the EPL winner. If they can study past and present games when analyzing possible outcomes and use this to wager on a Bet365 alternative link, their winning chances increase. After all, predictive analytics are highly accurate. Science also influences outcomes in many other things, including billiards. Have you ever considered how one person’s shot hits the target while another person’s shot misses it? Let’s get into the science of it:
Physics in Billiards
Billiards is a popular game that mainly depends on mechanics. It features several balls and a cue stick. Players use the cue stick to direct the balls into the pockets, and the players who sink the most balls into the pockets get the highest points. Of course, billiard variations determine the balls score the highest points.
So, where is the science in all this? It all starts with a player using the cue stick to hit a target ball. To do this, they aim the stick at a ball, hoping to direct it to the other balls. And once they hit the first ball, it gains momentum. Momentum is the ball’s mass multiplied by its velocity (speed with direction). This momentum allows the ball to transfer energy which allows the balls it hits to also gain momentum. So, each subsequent ball starts moving but with a different velocity from the initial ball. The balls can change their direction, speed, or both. And the initial ball can stop or change its speed, direction, or both.
Now here is where it gets interesting. According to the laws of momentum, it does not change even after the collision. The momentum in the initial ball might change, but the collective momentum observed in all the balls will equal what was in the first ball. However, the transferred energy in the balls will not be the same as this depends on the collision type as follows:
- Inelastic collisions: In such a case, the initial ball hits the subsequent balls, but they do not bounce off each other. As such, the kinetic energy in the first ball does not get transferred to the other balls in its entirety or at all. Instead, some energy is used in sound, heat, and friction.
- Elastic collisions: Unlike inelastic collisions, the energy in these collisions remains the same. That means all the energy in the first ball gets transferred to the subsequent balls without getting lost in heat, sound, and other energy types. As a result, the speed of the next ball will be equal to the original one, which will stop moving, having lost its momentum.
Both inelastic and elastic collisions are possible in billiards.
Elastic Collisions Explained
At this point, you may wonder how the initial ball transfers all its energy, yet you hear a sound on collision. Isn’t this also energy? It is! But the energy lost to sound is often so minimal that it barely affects the energy transferred to the next ball. Moreover, if one ball hits another ball in billiards, the masses are similar such that energy transference is possible. It would be different if the balls had differing sizes such that this transference would be unlikely, and the collisions would not be elastic.
But are elastic collisions common in billiards? Often, players hit the balls at an angle to direct them to the pockets. As such, the initial ball does not hit the subsequent ball directly and cannot transfer all its energy. Instead, it transfers partial energy and momentum to the other ball, allowing the two balls to keep moving.
Thus, you can use this concept to determine how fast and at what angle the cue ball should move to hit your target. See? Simple science!
