Final answer:
To balance a baseball bat vertically on your palm, place the handle end in your palm with the barrel on top, aligning with the bat's center of gravity. This is analogous to finding a racquet's percussion point or a pole vaulter using the center of gravity to balance the pole.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the balance of a baseball bat and how it relates to its center of gravity (cg). To balance it vertically on your palm, you should put the end of the handle in your palm, with the barrel on top. This configuration puts the bat's center of gravity above your palm, making it possible to balance. This is similar to how in tennis, hitting the ball at the racquet's percussion point minimizes force on the hand. Likewise, the baseball bat has a percussion point where it is most balanced. The bat, like a lever, applies force over a distance, and the force changes depending on where the bat is struck or where it is held.
In the case of the baseball bat, holding it by the handle allows you to utilize the balance associated with its center of gravity, much like when a pole vaulter holds a pole so that the cg is supported by the hand that is directly under it. When discussing the forces involved in balancing the bat, it is important to note that the bat operates differently from a regular lever, such as a pry bar. The effort force in a baseball bat is applied over a larger distance to move the resistance force, which is located at the barrel end. This is consistent with the principles of lever arms and the distribution of forces, as demonstrated by a pole vaulter holding the pole with a shifted center of gravity, wherein the hand closer to the cg supports more weight.