One issue for all the good math and bad math PV=nRT stuff:
all of the calculations we've seen assume a constant volume, no? If you're only solving to one variable (P) in relation to all the others.
(I'm not sure what the assumed internal volume of a football is).
But a football is a flexible container. a. the cooler temp would contract the container some, but b. what effect might the cooler temp have on the containment pressure of the football? The "looser" the container, the lower the pressure, for the same number of molecules. While the cold might contract the material of the leather and bladder, it might have other effect on the binding and lacing.
My guess is it would tend to very slighy counteract the temperature/pressure connection, but I don't really know.
wiffleballhero said:
The bladder stretches. The pressure on the balls from the run game would matter. A stretched bladder would soften the ball, increase capacity and change PSI.
The Colts time of possession would limit the damage to their balls.
Also the above: what compounding changes would wear and impact have?
This bears on the "2psi below accepted"
Was it confirmed that multiple balls were at 10.5psi (2 below the 12.5 lower value)?
Or was it "2 below" the standard of 13psi, and thus at 11psi (and this only 1.5psi low)?
What was the deviation? Where a bunch of them at 12, some at 11, a couple at 10.5 and one at 10? Or were they all around 10.5?