The science behind basketball
It might not seem like it to people who play, or watch basketball, but at all times, there is some really complicated science going on. So many things happen just to make something move. Some of these forces are gravity, air resistance, and any outside unbalanced force. These can all cause objects to move, rather it be faster, or slower. Some of these forces, like gravity are always the same. Gravity will cause an object (Like a basketball) to fall towards the ground at 9.8 Meters Per Second Squared.
To find out if the forces that are acting on an object will make it move, all you have to do is make a force diagram! It's that easy! But what IS a force diagram?
To find out if the forces that are acting on an object will make it move, all you have to do is make a force diagram! It's that easy! But what IS a force diagram?
Force Diagram
That's it. All a force diagram is is a picture, with arrows showing how much force an object has in a particular direction. All that a force diagram really needs to show is which forces act on an object in which direction. Force is measured in Newtons (N).
The balance of the forces acting on the basketball in this force diagram will cause the basketball to arc up and right, then down and right because the force of the upward throw will be diminished by that of the force of gravity. The ball should reach the hoop or hit the ground long before the air resistance becomes a problem, as the air resistance causes so little force to be applied to the ball.
The balance of the forces acting on the basketball in this force diagram will cause the basketball to arc up and right, then down and right because the force of the upward throw will be diminished by that of the force of gravity. The ball should reach the hoop or hit the ground long before the air resistance becomes a problem, as the air resistance causes so little force to be applied to the ball.
You can also do some very complex things with the knowledge of force, and force diagrams. You can create a graph that shows the path of the ball as it travels towards the hoop.
Force Graph
Such a graph, might look like this. Using forces like air resistance, gravity, the force of the throw, and a few other things, you can calculate exactly where the ball will go, and how long it will take it to get there!
In conclusion, many people don't think about the many forces that go into every day things such as basketball, or walking, or even breathing! So next time you watch a basketball game, see if you can put this new knowledge to use!