golfball dimples explained

[jmeyer1022]

http://www.livescience.com/common/media ... ?aid=24295

voice is annoying, but good insight on why its most effective projectile

[starman]

It looked like air turbulance actually "surfed" over the dimple, effectively cutting down the golfball surface area that came in contact with the "moving" air.

It also looks like the well of air in the dimple provides a bearing of sorts between the ball the air it's moving through...sort of like the air that rides in the back of a pickup truck.

Interesting analysis there.

[Daltonultra]

Looks like simple boundary layer turbulence. Same effect as shark-skin in water, or the brushed finish inside properly polished car intakes.

[raptorforce]

so basically you could make dimples in your projectile and it would be more aerodynamic

[ALIHISGREAT]

so basically you could make dimples in your projectile and it would be more aerodynamic

i wouldn't have thought so, if its already reasonably aerodynamic, i see no reason to include dimples? otherwise we would have a lot more dimpled objects flying around.

[D_Hall]

Dimples induce turbulence. NORMALLY, turbulence is a bad thing. HOwever, in a narrow band of Reynold's numbers, turbulence does decrease drag.... As luck would have it, golf balls fly in that band.

[raptorforce]

Dimples induce turbulence. NORMALLY, turbulence is a bad thing. HOwever, in a narrow band of Reynold's numbers, turbulence does decrease drag.... As luck would have it, golf balls fly in that band.

so basically everything except golfballs should have dimples because dimples only work on golfballs is that correct

got finals this week =(