Physics · Level 3 · Advanced
Aerodynamics of the newly approved football for the English Premier League 2020–21 season
Asai T, Hong S (2021). Scientific Reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89162-y · CC BY 4.0
Step 1 of 2Read the paper
The authors compared a new 4-panel Premier League ball (Nike Flight 2020) with a 6-panel and a classic 32-panel ball. They measured drag, side and lift forces on each ball in a wind tunnel at two orientations, measured the seams and grooves on each surface, and used a simple computer simulation to estimate how far each ball would fly.
How to read it
- Before reading: Reynolds number rises with air speed for a given ball; the "drag crisis" is a sudden drop in drag.
- Methods: list each part (wind tunnel, smooth sphere check, two orientations, groove measurement, simulation).
- Figure 3 and Table 1: link each ball’s critical Reynolds number to its seam length and groove size.
- Discussion: separate what was measured from what is inferred about real matches, then read the limitations.
Step 2 of 2Take the test
15 questions · about 50 minutes including reading · pick an answer to see straight away if it’s right. Nothing is saved.
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Paper: Asai T, Hong S, Scientific Reports (2021), licensed CC BY 4.0. Summary and questions are Research Nest’s own; read the original for the full study.