[Physics] Force required to send ball in set trajectory

accelerationforceskinematicsnewtonian-mechanicsprojectile

If I have a desired 2D trajectory where I know the desired speed of my ball and desired path, and a ball that starts at (x=0,y=0), how can I calculate the required force / point at which the force should be applied to the ball to produce the desired trajectory? I've been able to find plenty of information about how to find the launch angle to produce a certain trajectory, but what I think I'm looking for is the force necessary to produce a desired launch angle.

Appreciate any insights! The only other forces acting on the ball besides the kick are gravity–we can assume frictionless environment. The ball's mass and coefficient of restitution are also known.

The ball starts on the ground and is kicked. Where on the ball should I kick it in order to produce a certain launch angle? Basically how can I kick the ball up, without scooping underneath or having my end effector "foot" come in contact with the ground?

Best Answer

Launch force.

Exert a constant force $F$ pointing from the origin in $(x,y)$ to $(x_1,y_1)$ at angle $\theta$, for a period of time $\Delta t$, so that:

$$F=ma,$$ and: $$v_1=\frac{F}{m}\Delta t$$

Choose the angle $\theta$ so that $\vec{v_1}$ is tangential at $(x_1,y_1)$ to your trajectory $y=f(x)$ (I assume other forces will then take over, hence the curvature).

If it makes things easier, you can later skip from one coordinate system to the other, e.g.:

$$x'=x-x_1$$ $$y'=y-y_1$$


Edit: (in response to OP's edit to the question)

The initial velocity and angle of launch of the ball could be simply modelled as follows, see diagram below:

Kicking a ball.

Some assumptions need to be made:

  1. The kicker hits the ball at height above the horizontal $h (<R)$ and the speed vector $\vec{v}$ of the shoe is purely horizontal with magnitude $v$.
  2. No momentum is lost by the shoe: we consider it much more massive than the ball itself.
  3. The collision is free of friction.

Due to assumption 2. the situation now becomes equivalent (simply change frame of reference) to the ball falling onto a stationary shoe with speed $v_b$ and rebounding.

$v_b$ is the radial component of $\vec{v}$ and is simply (in scalar form):

$$v_b=v\cos\theta,$$

and from simple trigonometry we can derive:

$$\tan\theta=\frac{R-h}{\sqrt{R^2-(R-h)^2}}.$$

If a restitution coefficient $r$ needs to be taken into account, then:

$$v_b=vr\cos\theta$$

Note also that with $y=f(x)$ the trajectory's function, then:

$$\tan\theta=\bigg(\frac{dy}{dx}\bigg)_{x_1}=y'(x_1).$$

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