Billiard ball collisions are highly elastic. This means very little kinetic energy is lost as heat or sound during the impact.
When the cue ball is rolling naturally (with follow) and strikes the object ball with a half-ball hit (where the edge of the cue ball aligns with the center of the object ball): the physics of pocket billiards pdf
Heavy and fuzzy. This creates high friction, slowing the ball quickly and causing spin to take effect much earlier in the ball's path. Summary Cheat Sheet for Players Physical Cause Real-World Result Stop Shot Complete momentum transfer Cue ball stops dead on a straight hit. Tangent Line Vector mechanics Cut balls separate at 90 degrees if sliding. Draw Shot Rotational kinetic energy Ball rolls backward after impact. Squirt Tangential force component Ball pushes away from the side of the cue hit. Billiard ball collisions are highly elastic
On faster cloth, the cushion has less time to deform, resulting in more energy retention. This creates high friction, slowing the ball quickly
are the fundamental rules of the game. A cue ball will remain stationary until struck by the cue stick (inertia), and the amount of force you apply determines how fast it accelerates (F = ma). For every action (the cue tip hitting the ball), there is an equal and opposite reaction (the force exerted back on the tip).
When a cue ball is struck, it initially across the cloth, fighting kinetic friction. Eventually, friction forces the ball into a state of pure rolling , where the bottom of the ball is stationary relative to the cloth at the point of contact. Cloth Types