Basketball Physics

Basketball Physics

Xiran Zhang

University of Cincinnati

Background

The physics of basketball is intriguing if not important. When a basketball is dropped, its bounces barely reach the height it was dropped from. This can be attributed by the transfer of energy thus losing momentum. A good understanding of basketball physics is important especially to trainers. Basketball physics is intriguing to people who try to break down the science of shooting, passing in addition to dribbling. This means that the physics behind basketball is an outcome of individual’s memory. All elements of basketball game are regulated by forces without which the basketball or the player can only go in a straight line with constant speed.  An individual is in possession of kinesthetic memory on how they remember the way they shot and the specific points and the amount of velocity. This is attained by continuous hours of practice. Some people think that basketball is only a sport but some people do not know why the basketball player can shoot accurately. They use physical to determine where the basketball will go(Chen, Tien, Chen, Tsai, & Lee, 2009).

How basketball works

One of the best elements to understand on the physics of basketball is in the shot. There are two main points of importance on shooting the basketball which are the shot and the ball spin. There are two distinct types of shots; layup and jump shot. Jump shots is more of vertical movement and less of horizontal movement. The basketball is pushed of from the player’s fingertips whereby the force and angle are applied when releasing. There is variation of the jump shot referred to as the running jump shot. In the running jump shot, more horizontal movement is experienced and less vertical movement. By failing to push the shot towards the basket, no velocity is added to the basketball. The players running speed is the horizontal velocity in this scenario. The running jump shot is not common amongst basketball players. The lay-up is more momentum based. The velocity of the basketball total of both the baskets all speed and that of the shooters speed. This means that in the case of the lay-up, the ball does not require a lot of force and is only dropped in the basket for instance in a dunk. The laws of physics, it is possible to successfully make a jump shot in basketball every time. It is possible when the shooter stands at a similar point and throws the ball up at the right velocity and angle. The figure below shows how(Chanpichai & Wattanakasiwich, 2010).

[pic 1]

An individual’s height determines how high above the ground level the ball is when a shot is taken. The distance from the basket determines the shot, either a jump shot, free throw or three point.

        Miller & Bartlett (1996) argue that a free throw, similar to other types of shots chances are increased with more arc the shot has. In situations where the ball comes straight down, the rim of the basket seems bigger as opposed to situations whereby has more of a straight trajectory. The best shot is the one that comes straight down from the top into the basket. This type of shot biggest challenge is the aiming part.

Why the surface of the basketball need to increase the friction?

Friction is all around us and has both advantages and disadvantages. It causes the basketball to wear out in the case of this sport. Friction is important on the basketball for better grip. Friction has two outcomes. Friction normally slows the basketball as shown in the figure below.

[pic 2]

The surface of the basketball increases friction between the rim and the basketball. When the basketball fails to slip on the rims surface, the friction is static force. In instances of bounces, the friction is parallel to the surface of basketball and that of the rim at contact point. The friction force direction is opposite to the velocity direction of the basketball surface at contact point. There is a probability that the basketball could slip on the rims surface. In such a scenario, kinetic friction is the friction force. The difference is that the static friction force would be stronger than the kinetic friction force. When the basketball is not spinning, for instance in bricks, the velocity on the surface point is equal to the velocity at the middle of the basketball mass. This means that when a non-spinning basketball comes into contact with the rim, the force of friction direction is opposite to the baskets ball velocity(Liu, Li, & Huston, 2006).  

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