Which ball was hit first?

[maha]

okay the call goes to the shooter after the fact. no question on that.

but before if told its too close to call can he shoot it? when there is no ref right there to make the call.
and what if the opponent says its super close bit i don't think it goes.
what we always did in the pool room, if the shooter couldn't show it can be a clean hit then it couldn't be shot.

 

[Double-Dave]

Let me see if I can slow this down for you. The cueball skimmed the five, then after some finite amount of time the cb hit the three at an angle that caused it to have more speed than the five. The guy on the three wasn't a full ball hit, and it wasn't even that close to a full ball hit, leaving the cb with enough energy to follow the taken line from the hit on the three.

There is no path of least resistance in this shit, there is only the path that physics dictates. The balls don't choose to go somewhere because it is easier.

Can you explain how the cueball could possibly "skim" the 5? The cueball is either going to hit the 3 or the 5 first roughly half-ball (or as a third option, both at the same time roughly half-ball).

 

[straightline]

Let me see if I can slow this down for you. The cueball skimmed the five, then after some finite amount of time the cb hit the three at an angle that caused it to have more speed than the five. The guy on the three wasn't a full ball hit, and it wasn't even that close to a full ball hit, leaving the cb with enough energy to follow the taken line from the hit on the three.

There is no path of least resistance in this shit, there is only the path that physics dictates. The balls don't choose to go somewhere because it is easier.

You have an infinitesimally tiny - at least indeterminate split. Could be 49 point million zeroes 1/50 point million zeroes 1. This is functionally a flat 180 degree hit. How the rock decayed IS the path of least resistance.