I've got an update to our situation. We made a prototype out of plywood and 2x4s. We tossed the ball at it a few times. On the fourth impact, it split a 2x4 along the grain. Considering how strong the build looked I'm surprised by the damage. I think the lesson we learned was that there is more force imparted by a strong ball hit than you would probably expect. I'm glad this was a discovery in week 1 rather than week 3 or later.
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Originally Posted by Alan Anderson
You might find the equation Ft = mv useful. The amount of momentum transferred to the ball is equal to the product of the force used to impel it multiplied by the amount of time that force is applied.
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It is interesting how similar that equation is to F = MA = M * Change in Velocity / Change in Time. It should be possible to calculate resulting vectors in a collision based on using the conservation of momentum and the conservation of energy.
Andy