Which goes farther, a baseball or a tennis ball when hit earnestly by a bat?

Question

Does a tennis ball absorb enough of the impact of the hit from a bat (wooden or metal) that it would not go as far as a baseball? That's my brother's argument, but my memories from childhood wants to convince me that a tennis ball would outdistance a baseball... or that maybe up to a certain point the tennis ball would outdistance the baseball, but after then the tennis ball would succumb to wind resistance? But my brother and his friend want to favor the baseball, regardless - something I'm quite reluctant to do... Thoughts?

Answer 1

I would think that a baseball would retain its momentum longer, thus carrying further.

Answer 2

Interesting question.  I think the baseball would go further.  A tennis ball has a lower total mass than a baseball.  Given that it's a new tennis ball, it would come off the bat at a much higher velocity than the baseball, but wind resistance would deteriorate its speed much quicker than a baseball of the same size.

One estimate I read said that a baseball loses 1 MPH for every 7 feet of travel.  I couldn't find an equivalent estimate for a tennis ball, but I did find an estimate that a tennis ball loses roughly half its velocity during the travel from one baseline to the other.  A tennis court is 78 feet, and a very fast serve is about 155 mph.  This means ~77.5 MPH is lost over 78 feet, or (rather surprisingly) about 1 MPH for every 1 feet of travel.  This implies the tennis ball would rather quickly peter out even if hit _way_ faster than a baseball.

Answer 3

I've Done It Before And My Result Was A Baseball ! When I Hit The Tennis Ball It Gained Alto Of Speed And Height But Dies Quickly . With The Baseball It Just Kept Going

Answer 4

I'd say a baseball would go further.

Answer 5

The same amount of force is applied to both the tennis, and the baseball, but since the baseball has a greater mass, it's intertia is also greater (sort of like kinetic energy, or the energy it has while moving. Take for example, a heavy object in the back seat of your car [TV or otherwise], If you slam on the brakes, it will keep moving forwards because of it's inertia - and not to mention will cause some damage :P). THEREFORE, having a greater amount of inertia, the baseball will travel further. Not to mention the air resistance would be less on the baseball because it is smooth, and not furry like the tennis ball.

*EDIT*

OH, didn't read your details. The tennis ball wouldn't "absorb" the impact, as such. It would act like a spring. While one side of the tennis ball is compressed from the impact, it would spring back to it's original shape, it being rubber, and also the air pressure inside it, launching it away from the bat, so it may even initially travel faster than the baseball, but inertia and wind resistance are the keys