Physics of Basketball - 640 Words

Physics takes part in our everyday lives without us even recognizing it. In simple every day functions like when we walk, how our vehicles function properly, and even how we play sports. We go on each day with no recognition of physics until it is pointed out to us. The concept of physics is the study of fundamental structures and interactions in the physical universe. We learn physics to get a better understanding of the universe and the objects in it (Ostdiek). Now, that I have given you a brief description of what physics is and why we learn it, I am going to tell you how physics applies to shooting a basketball. Shooting a basketball is a simple concept. All you do is align your feet towards the goal, put the ball in place, and then shoot; easy right? Not exactly, just because you do these steps does not mean you will get a perfect shot every time and make the basket. First, were going to start with setting the shot up with a dribble, most players can shoot off of the dribble. When dribbling a basketball a shooter releases the ball towards the floor with a force that makes the ball come back into their palm. When the force of the ball goes toward the floor with different speeds it causes the ball to have a different velocity which can make the ball come back into the dribblers hand much quicker. We can also look at dribbling through energy. When a shooter is holding the basketball it has potential energy. Upon the balls release to the floor, the potential energy isShow MoreRelated The Physics of Basketball Essay1466 Words   |  6 PagesThe Physics of Basketball The NBA playoffs are making the headlines all over. Every news channel, sports channel, and newspaper has a story about the big games. Everyone is making bets as to who will be the big champions. Will it be the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, or will it possibly be one of the underdogs. This is the most intensive time of year for basketball fans as they watch the teams battle out the game. 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