What is the optimum angle(stated in degrees)of ascent for a baseball
pitched in 'long toss' to attain maximum distance?

Hello leec-ga,

According to Porter Johnson, a physics professor who is a specialist
in the physics of baseball, the optimum angle without wind resistance
is 45 degrees to the horizontal.  However, "this estimate is somewhat
altered by the presence of air resistance. In fact, the optimal launch
angle is 35 degrees to 40 degrees to the horizontal."

"The Physics of Baseball" [under heading "How far do baseballs go?",
about 2/3 down the page]
Illinois Institute of Technology: Porter W. Johnson
http://www.iit.edu/~johnsonp/baseball.html

If you would like to see how complicated the calculation is, you can
peruse the following web page.  The calculation is not even as complex
as it might be, since it assumes that there is "no stitching, no spin,
and ... no wind".  All of these factors presumably affect the proper
angle.)  The conclusion is that "zero drag coefficient the angle for
maximum range is always 45 degrees, and as velocity and/or drag
increase, the angle decreases."

"Flight of a Baseball with Drag", by Joanne Treurniet (1996)
Carleton University: Computational Physics: Student Project Page
http://www.physics.carleton.ca/courses/75.502/slides/projects/1996/joanne/

- justaskscott-ga


Search terms used on Google:

"physics of baseball"
"physics of baseball" "optimal angle"

[I tried other searches as well, but these two searches resulted in
the pages I've cited.]