What real-world issue(s) or problem(s) are you considering addressing in this project?

I am not addressing a issue or a problem, i am addressing knowledge of a simple task in a sport that is commonly played without the realization that physics greatly impacts the game.

 

What physics topics are associated with this topic?

Testing the basic physics in the game of basketball.

 

1 Summary of the shoot and the physics of The Shot

 He may not see very many basketball players in his classroom, but Creighton University physics professor Gintaras Duda, Ph.D., says they are instinctual physicists because of what it takes to make the perfect shot on the court, particularly the 3-pointer. What makes the perfect 3-pointer? Well, there is the angle the player takes on the 3-point line and the arc of the ball, which is the path the basketball flies from the time it leaves the shooter's hand until it arrives at the basket. According to Duda and the research he has read, the lowest arc is 33 degrees for even a hope of making a 3-point shot, but with an arc of 45 degrees, a speed of just under 20 miles per hour and two revolutions per second of spin, at 20.9 feet from the basket, the player has the makings of the perfect 3-point shot. While some people say gravity is the only thing affecting the ball once it is in the air, Duda is not so sure. In the book The Physics of Basketball, the author, John Fantanella, explains the Magnus effect, the backspin which gives the ball a little bit of lift allowing for the slowest possible speed and a less violent rebound if it hits the backboard or rim and may even allow the ball to go in the net. “I’ve heard about it in baseball, you know the curve ball that pitchers throw to curve one way or the other over the plate, but I really didn’t realize how important it is in basketball,” said Duda. “On certain shots, like the free throw and the 3-pointer, you want a slower speed on the ball for that soft shot that has a better chance of landing in the basket than a faster ball with no spin.” In other words, avoiding the brick, that shot with the distinctive sound that lets you know the ball is not going in at all. It takes practice for the player to find that perfect shot. After all, consistency equals reliability, but by finding that perfect shot, the player has found the right speed, the right angle of approach, and the perfect arc of the ball.

 

How to Shoot

 

Set Up

Basketball players learn to generate inertia when setting up for a shot off the dribble. Moving to the right or left and planting a foot to make a jump shot is a prime example of a player utilizing the physical forces at his or her disposal. As the player moves to one side and plants a foot, the body coils. Springing off the floor to shoot a jumper not only serves to elevate the ball over a defender’s outstretched hands, the upward motion of the shooter’s body transfers a certain amount of force to the shooting hand as well.

 

Release

Whether a player is shooting a jumper, hook shot or scooping an underhand lay-up, the shooting hand generates the initial physical forces on a basketball. With the exception of a slam-dunk, all shots initiate at an upward angle. The amount of force a shooter applies is directly proportionate to the height of the arc and the distance the ball travels. Experienced shooters have a way of putting more on a shot, or taking something off a shot by flexing or relaxing their wrist at the moment the ball is released.

 

Arch

In basketball circles, the trajectory of a basketball from the shooter’s hand to the basket is referred to as arch. Those who watch basketball frequently may have heard an announcer comment on a high-archer or a flat shot. Basic laws of physics dictate that a basketball is in the air longer during a high-arch shot from ten feet away than during a flat shot from that same distance. Shooters might use a high-arched shot to allow their teammates to get in position for a rebound. Conversely, a flatter shot might catch defenders out of position for a rebound.

Spin

A basketball has a certain amount of spin as it travels toward the basket. Unlike the seams on a baseball or the dimples on a golf ball, basketballs have a smooth texture and travel through the air at a comparatively slow speed. For this reason, shooters can loft a shot directly at the basket or a point on the backboard without the ball changing direction in flight. A jump shot has backspin that causes it to bounce off the backboard at a downward angle. Shooters put right or left spin when shooting from an angle, causing the ball to glance off the board into the basket. This technique is associated with Newton’s third law of motion regarding action and equal and opposite reactions.

 

 

HOW TO PASS

 

Another aspect of basketball where calculating the physics can be interesting lies in passing. The idea of catching a pass can be analyzed using the equation m*v = F*t or F= (m*v)/t. In using this idea the greater the time is the lesser the force will be and thus the pass will be a lot easier to catch and not drop.

The idea of catching the perfect pass comes from the laws of motion and energy. If the ball is initially received with the elbows slightly bent the arms should be allowed to absorb the force of the on coming basketball and the ball should end up being caught close to the chest. This can be more easily explained in physics with the help of a couple simple formulas. It is known that in physics that the mass of an object multiplied by the velocity of the object equals the liner momentum of the object. It is also known that the momentum divided by the time it takes the object to impact is equal to the net force the object will have upon impact. In other words by the player catching the ball with arms extended and slightly bent elbows and allowing their arms to slow down the ball before hitting their chest they are increasing the time it takes the ball to impact. Since the momentum is divided by the time in the formula discussed above increasing the time will make the net force smaller when the ball is received into the chest. This will result in a nice soft reception of the basketball and smaller chance that the ball will be dropped. Flores

The art of passing the ball and receiving the ball shouldn’t be a very complicated process. Basically, as long as a person tries to catch the ball with their arms slightly bent it will be much easier as the person will be able to reduce the force by increasing the time of the pass.