Ball Games Literature
Adriana Sheck
Mrs. Asofsky
Advanced Research
12 December 2012
Got Balls?: Literature Review Anyone who has ever gone bowling must be familiar with the brightly colored balls used to knock down the pins. But few people have ever really paid attention to the science behind bowling and realized how much of an influence aspects of technology has had on the advancement of this intriguing sport. Some people think of bowling balls as “just a ball” but for others, bowling is a “serious sport” (Falcioni). To the serious bowlers, it is much more than “just a ball”. There are hundreds of different types of bowling balls that have been created, each made a little differently. Bowling balls have different types of what is called cover stock, which is just another way of saying the outer shell of the bowling ball (Falcioni). One of the new, most popular types of cover stock is called reactive resin (Falcioni). Balls with a reactive resin cover stock give bowlers a better chance of striking because the angle into the pocket is greater as well as the amount of energy transfer (Falcioni). Reactive resin was mixed with a substance called urethane, which in the 1980s was found to be more effective on the lanes than polyester shells because tiny pores in the shell increased the friction between the ball and the lanes (Falcioni). Each outer shell of a bowling ball has tiny pores, just like a person’s skin, that soak up the oil on the lane. The development of reactive resin shells enhanced this sport because the pores on this shell were tinier than other shells, meaning it would take longer to soak up the oil and thus would have a greater hook for a longer period of time. Once a ball soaks up a significant amount of oil (if the ball is not cleaned with a towel frequently by the bowler), it will simply slide down the lane and decrease its amount of hook (Carton). New developments in the cover stock of bowling balls have prolonged the amount of time before a ball simply slides down
Mrs. Asofsky
Advanced Research
12 December 2012
Got Balls?: Literature Review Anyone who has ever gone bowling must be familiar with the brightly colored balls used to knock down the pins. But few people have ever really paid attention to the science behind bowling and realized how much of an influence aspects of technology has had on the advancement of this intriguing sport. Some people think of bowling balls as “just a ball” but for others, bowling is a “serious sport” (Falcioni). To the serious bowlers, it is much more than “just a ball”. There are hundreds of different types of bowling balls that have been created, each made a little differently. Bowling balls have different types of what is called cover stock, which is just another way of saying the outer shell of the bowling ball (Falcioni). One of the new, most popular types of cover stock is called reactive resin (Falcioni). Balls with a reactive resin cover stock give bowlers a better chance of striking because the angle into the pocket is greater as well as the amount of energy transfer (Falcioni). Reactive resin was mixed with a substance called urethane, which in the 1980s was found to be more effective on the lanes than polyester shells because tiny pores in the shell increased the friction between the ball and the lanes (Falcioni). Each outer shell of a bowling ball has tiny pores, just like a person’s skin, that soak up the oil on the lane. The development of reactive resin shells enhanced this sport because the pores on this shell were tinier than other shells, meaning it would take longer to soak up the oil and thus would have a greater hook for a longer period of time. Once a ball soaks up a significant amount of oil (if the ball is not cleaned with a towel frequently by the bowler), it will simply slide down the lane and decrease its amount of hook (Carton). New developments in the cover stock of bowling balls have prolonged the amount of time before a ball simply slides down
Cited: Carton, Barbara. "Why Today 's Bowlers Turn to Kitty Litter and Blow Dryers- Lanes Are Greasy and New Balls Are Porous: Strikes Roll In, But The Oil Must Come Out." Wall Street Journal [New York] 1 June 2001: A.1. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Falcioni, John G. "Striking at the Core of Bowling Balls." Mechanical Engineering 115.8 (1993): 44-49. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Kushner, David. "Where All Lanes Are Fast Lanes: The High-Tech Bowling Alley." New York Times [New York] 7 Jan. 1999, sec. G: 9. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Miller, James P. "In the Lab: Grasping the Science of Strikes and Spares." Wall Street Journal [New York] 23 Jan. 1995: B1. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Rozin, Skip. "Bullish on Bowling- Yes, Bowling." Wall Street Journal [New York] 8 Jan. 2009, Leisure & Arts: D.7. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. - - -. "Sports, Science, and the Spirit of Competition." Wall Street Journal [New York] 12 Aug. 2004, Leisure & Arts: D.8. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Sheck, Stuart. Interview conducted by Adriana Sheck. 6 Dec. 2012. Shemwell, Bert. "Simulating a Strike." Mechanical Engineering 119.11 (1997): 80-82. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Tesler, Pearl. "Super Bowl." Current Science 95.2 (2009): 10-11. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>. Valenti, Michael. " 'Throbot ' Aids Bowling Ball Development." Mechanical Engineering 121.1 (1999): 12. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com>.