Pass, dribble and shoot! It is time for March Mania basketball – one of the most famous annual sporting events in the US. Whether you are watching college teams on TV or playing in the backyard, basketball is fun because of Science! I betcha’ didn’t know there was science involved in the sport of basketball!
Bouncing the ball on the ground, passing to your teammate, and shooting at the goal all depend on physics, math and the laws of motion.
Origins of Basketball
By Evdcoldeportes via Wikimedia Commons
Basketball is considered the first sport that completely originated in the United States. It was invented in December of 1891 when Dr. James Naismith nailed up some peach baskets in a gym. Basketballs today are designed to bounce around the court and soar in an orange arc from your hands into the basket. But were they always like this? Why do they have those bumps on them?
When the sport was first invented soccer balls were used and players had a harder time holding on to and dribbling the ball than they did shooting a basket. The orange, bumpy ball we know today was developed as a result of problems players were having trying to play this brand new game.
Changes they made to the ball included making them bigger and adding bumps to the leather surface. This added bounce and friction to the equation. Modern basketballs are hollow with an inflatable inner rubber bladder and have a small opening that lets you control the air pressure. This hollow center is generally wrapped in layers of fiber and finally covered with leather, which is usually bright orange so players can easily see them. They took a problem – slippery, not so bouncy ball – and engineered a solution!
Basketballs bounce because of the pressurized air inside of them, gravity and Newton’s Laws of Motion.
When you dribble a basketball, your hand and gravity both push the ball towards the ground (Law #1). As it drops, the ball accelerates and speeds up (Law #2). It wants to stay in motion so the ball pushes into the ground when it hits, compressing the air inside. The ground pushes up with an equal, but opposite amount of force resulting in the ball bouncing back up in to your hand (Law #3). The energy in the compressed air is transferred back to the ball pushing it back into motion. If you were to take your hand away and stop dribbling, the ball would continue to bounce due to Newton’s first law, but would slow down and eventually stop due to friction.
The more air pressure inside, the harder it will push on the sides of the ball and the more bounce you’ll get. This is why an under inflated ball won’t bounce very well because there is not enough air pressure inside to maintain the forces necessary for bounce.
Why the bumps?
Image Source: Pixabay.com
So the last detail they added to their new ball was little bumps on the surface of the leather called pebbling. Adding these bumps was all about friction. When forces collide, friction naturally slows things down over time and the more points of contact an object has with another surface the more friction comes into play. So the bumps on the basketball basically increase the surface area of the ball and the amount of friction acting on it. This makes the pebbled ball ideal for a player to grip, pass quickly, and dribble without fear that the ball will slip away in a random direction.
Next time you shoot some hoops, observe all the features of the basketball that make it special. It’s a great example of engineering and American innovation in action!
Try this fun, at-home STEM basketball activity: http://sciencemadefunwnc.net/downloads/basketball_STEM.pdf
Author Science Made Fun!Posted on Categories E-News HTHTTags basketball, bounce, friction, march, motion, newton's laws, science of basketball, STEM
Saturday Science: Bouncing Basketballs | The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
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Home / Blog / Saturday Science: Bouncing Basketballs
One of the most important skills in basketball is dribbling. You have to do it all the time. Sure, baseballs, footballs, even golf balls can bounce, but basketballs are designed specifically to bounce, and if yours isn’t bouncing, you’re gonna have a bad time. What is it about a basketball that makes it so very good at its job? That’s the subject of today’s experiment.
See, the basic reason a basketball bounces is simple: it’s all Newton’s third law of motion. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the ball hits the floor, it pushes on the floor, and the floor pushes back on it. These pushes change the shape of the ball a little, compressing the air inside, and an instant later the air pushes back out, returning the ball to its original shape, pushing on the ground again, getting pushed by the ground again, and the ball, uh, bounces.
That’s the simple version, though. Every part of that explanation can change how a ball bounces in the real world. What’s the ball made of? How much air is in it? What kind of floor is underneath you? How far did the ball fall? Heck, what planet are you on? Basketball’s gonna be different on Mars. Just saying. So let’s choose one of those variables and play with it so we can look at the results. Today you will be doing science in one of the most satisfying ways possible: dropping stuff to see what happens.
Materials
A basketball (make sure it’s nice and pumped up with air)
A yardstick or measuring tape
A stepladder (optional)
Multiple different ground surfaces (e.g., concrete, grass, carpet, linoleum, dirt…whatever you have around)
Paper and pencil (to record your measurements)
An assistant
Procedure
This one’s easy: pick which surface you’re going to test out first.
Give your assistant a cool name like Igor or Jeeves or Phlebas.
Have your assistant stand next to you and hold your measuring implement.
Decide how high you’re going to drop the ball from. Head level? Above your head? If you’re using a stepstool, decide which step to use. Once you make your choice, keep it the same for every single drop going forward.
Do five drops on your first surface. Keep a close eye on the ball, and instruct Phlebas to do the same. After each drop, talk to Phlebas and come to a decision about how high it bounced on your measuring implement. Write your measurements down.
Repeat step 5 with all of your other surfaces.
Once you’ve run out of surfaces, compare your bounce heights across surfaces. Which surfaces bounced higher than others? Can you think of why that might be?
Summary
The thing I described up above, with the air compressing and then returning to its original size inside the ball, is happening on every single surface you bounced your ball on, and as far as the ball is concerned, it’s happening the same way. So how come different surfaces bounced higher than others? It all has to do with how energy moves between the ball and the ground.
There are two kinds of energy that are important to this experiment: potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is just what it sounds like: energy stored in something that has potential to make it do something. When you pull a rubber band back, it has elastic potential energy, and when you let it go that potential energy makes it move. When you hold a ball above the ground, it has gravitational potential energy, basically the potential to fall, and when you let it go, well, it falls. This is where kinetic energy comes in. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Anything moving has kinetic energy, so when you drop a ball, its potential energy turns into kinetic energy.
When the ball hits the ground, some of that kinetic energy is what’s used to moosh the ball and compress the air, and some is transferred into the ground. Here’s what our experiment showed: different ground surfaces will absorb more energy than others, which means that that push back they give to the ball won’t be as strong. A hard surface, like concrete or hardwood, hardly absorbs any, so most of the kinetic energy of the fall goes into bouncing the ball back up. A soft surface, like grass or carpet, absorbs more energy from the fall, so there’s less left to push the ball back up, and it bounces pretty badly. Pretty obvious now why indoor basketball courts are wood and not carpet, and outdoor ones are asphalt and not astroturf.
Ready to practice your dribbling drills and skills? Take your energy to the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever Basketball Experience at the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience® this summer!
Want more Saturday Science? See all of our at-home activities on the blog or on Pinterest.
why they are different and how to choose the best one
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, it is both a profession, recreation and even a way of life. But you still need to be able to choose a basketball.
And now we'll tell you why it's not so easy, and how to actually choose it.
So, at present, real basketball, that is, the one that is watched and played by millions, is under the jurisdiction of four official organizations at once:
FIBA - International Basketball Federation
NBA - American-Canadian Professional Basketball League
WNBA is the organization that runs the professional women's basketball league in the United States
NCAA - The National Academic Sports Association that governs the academic games.
And since basketball has many bosses, the rules that govern the game itself also differ somewhat. Field size requirements are the best example of this. FIBA rules require a basketball court to be 25m x 15m, NBA rules require 28.65m x 15.24m, and the NCAA requires 25. 6m x 15.24m. Etc. etc.
It's not so simple with balls either. Buying them is not a problem at all. By the way, https://tennismag.com.ua/catalog/basketbolnye-myachi-nike/ are ultra-modern Nike basketballs, for clarity. It is only necessary to correctly understand “everything” with a couple of questions, namely: who will play them and where?
Why is this so important? The fact is that for different age groups and both sexes of basketball players, balls of a certain size and weight are provided, and balls from certain materials are produced for different sites. So, let's start from afar:
#1 - Where do they play basketball?
Mostly in the halls. If it's an official game. But no one has canceled the so-called street basketball either, plus there are also school and training grounds. Balls, as we have already said, different conditions require (suit) different ones.
The outdoor ball has been optimized from the outset for active and long-term contact with hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. This means that it must be firm and at the same time strong and elastic enough so as not to cause discomfort and injury to the players.
Because street basketballs are usually made of rubber. And their coating is kind of rough, which ensures good grip.
Indoor balls are made of natural or composite leather. Such a ball on asphalt, as they say, does not last long. But on the other hand, it is many times more comfortable, feels better and is much easier to control than an open-air ball. Indoor basketballs are usually made by gluing and welding leather elements between panels, more on that below.
Universal basketballs are a kind of compromise. These are reliable and rather tenacious products; they are also made of composite leather, but with slightly different properties. The composition of the composite is selected in such a way that the ball is soft and resilient when played indoors and does not tear longer when played on asphalt or concrete.
What are basketballs made of?
For several years after the official invention of basketball, people played the game with soccer balls. But very soon, on the personal order of the founder of basketball, James Naismith, a special ball was developed ... from woven leather. The model was also not great, but for a while it was enough. The modern basketball was invented at 1948, and patented only 50 years later. Since 1972, basketballs have been made from artificial leather. But in 1992, balls made of composite materials were firmly established in the game.
Today, basketball manufacturers, like Nike, use the latest technologies and high-quality materials to design and manufacture basketballs to make the final product as durable and comfortable as possible. A modern basketball consists of several layers:
cylinder - it is usually made of rubber, thanks to which the ball jumps well on hard surfaces and optimal pressure is maintained in it for a long time;
braids - a layer of strong nylon or cotton, which primarily protects the cylinder from damage;
shells - a layer of high quality rubber that forms the structure of the internal structural elements;
coatings - the outer layer, which can be made of either rubber or natural or composite leather of various thicknesses and textures.
Basketball size
By the size of a basketball we mean not only its size, but also its weight. With this in mind, modern balls are offered in the following sizes:
3rd - diameter 18 cm, weight 300-350 g - for children under 8 years old;
5th - diameter 22 cm, weight 300-350 g - for children under 11;
6th - diameter 23 cm, weight 530-550 g - female;
7th - diameter 24 cm, weight 565-650 g - male.
Of course, size 7 basketballs have been and remain the most popular and are used everywhere in both amateur and professional competitions. Well, in schools, future basketball stars start with balls of the 5th or 6th size, depending on the preferences of the coaches and the level of physical development of young athletes.
Which ball should I buy?
When we figured out the exact type and dimensions, then we look further at a specific brand. The NBA now plays with Spalding balls, the NCAA with Wilson, and the FIBA with Molten. But if the ball is the first one, and even more so when we plan to play normally on the street, then we boldly take Nike - quality, durability, wear resistance and excellent handling are guaranteed, plus the price will also please. Based on materials from the site https://tennismag.com.ua/ .
Basketball for children: we buy a basketball
The smallest basketball is 3 times lighter than a standard NBA ball. Its weight and size affects the throwing technique and the child's game. How to choose the correct size in this case? What else to focus on and how to check the ball before buying?
Contents (click to collapse)
Basketball history
Types of basketballs
Indoor
Outdoor
Universal indoor/outdoor 9In 4, Naismith asked Albert Spalding, the founder of Spalding, about this. Since then, the company has been the largest manufacturer of balls and officially supplies them to the NBA.
At the beginning of their history, basketballs were not quite like those used today. They resembled rugby balls, as they had a slightly elongated shape and lacing. Inside them was an air chamber, which was constantly pumped up. On the court, the game with such a ball also looked different: dribbling was not used, and the ball moved by passing it to partners.
In 1942, the recognizable net of black stripes appeared on the ball, which performs several functions: it connects the leather parts and increases durability. Then the color of the ball changed. The first balls were made from scraps of leather, so they were dark brown. Coach and basketball player Tony Hinkle wanted the ball to be better seen by both the basketball players themselves and the spectators from the stands.
In 1958, Spalding produced the first orange ball, which debuted in the NCAA Finals.
Types of basketballs
Basketballs are selected for a specific surface: for the hall or the street where the child will play. Asphalt and parquet are completely different surfaces, they have different stiffness, and the ball bounce is different on them. To buy the right ball, look at the special markings.
For the hall, indoor
Indoor balls are made of genuine leather, composite materials and synthetics. Basically, these are professional models that give good grip. They are resistant to deformation and last longer.
Outdoor
Outdoor balls are most often made from rubber, which is more resistant to asphalt play. As a rule, they are cheaper and wear out faster.
Universal, indoor/outdoor
If you want to take a ball for your child to play in any playgrounds, then take a universal ball marked "indoor/outdoor". These balls also include amateur and training models. They are made from synthetic materials.
Since ball materials are selected for a specific type of surface, indoor balls should not be played on asphalt courts. For them, this is a rather aggressive coating, the skin wears out faster on it, and the service time is reduced by 2-3 times.
Size of basketballs
Basketballs vary in weight and size and are selected according to age.
No. 3. For children under 7 years old. Circumference - 560-580 mm, weight - 300-330 g.
No. 5. Junior. They are played by children 7-12 years old. Circumference - 690-710 mm, weight - 470-500 g.
No. 6. Women's and youth. They are played by girls over 12 years old and boys 12-14 years old. Circumference - 724-737 mm, weight - 510-567 g.
No. 7. Male ball. They are played by men and boys over 15 years old, official games are held with him. Its circumference is 749-780 mm, weight is 567-650 g.
Tip. The ball for the little ones is 3 times lighter than the adult ball for men. With a ball that is not suitable for weight, it will be difficult for a child to master the technique correctly. Children compensate for the heaviness of the ball due to the position of the shoulder during the throw. Over time, this can develop into a habit, and it will be more difficult for the child to readjust. Such problems can be avoided if you immediately choose a comfortable ball.
How to choose
The quality of the ball affects the performance of any athlete. To choose a ball that will last a long time, pay attention to the following indicators.
Pressure. Take the ball in your hands, if it is slightly deflated, then it may be in the nipple. To check if the ball is inflated enough, raise it to head level and release it: if the ball jumped up to the waist, then it can be taken.
Nipple. Apply some water or saliva to it and then squeeze the ball. If there are bubbles, then it does not hold air well.
Defects. Good manufacturers rarely have defects, but carefully inspect the ball: is it swelling, hernia, cracks, etc.
Check. If you choose the ball with your child, then invite him to play with the ball, twist it on his finger. Throw the ball yourself and see if it deviates from the vertical. Check how the ball bounces, everything should be according to the laws of physics: the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
It is not recommended to take varnished balls, they are suitable as souvenirs, but they are inconvenient to play with. Since their grip is weak, they will slip, especially if the child plays on the playground after rain.
Care Tips
Proper care extends the life and performance of the ball. It also helps to avoid problems in case of returning it to the store. In order for the ball to serve the child for a long time, follow these simple rules:
Do not sit on an inflated basketball.
Do not kick the basketball. This will cause the ball to lose its shape.
Wipe it with a slightly damp cloth after every play. If it is heavily soiled, then make a simple soapy solution, soak a rag in it and clean the ball. Do not use abrasives or solvents as they may damage the skin.
Leave the ball to dry, if water runs from it, wipe it off first. Dry away from the battery in a ventilated room at room temperature.
Balls should also be stored indoors, at a temperature of +5-25 °C.
Store and transport synthetic balls fully inflated. Otherwise, the coating may be deformed.
Watch the pressure of the ball. Instructions for inflating a basketball.
Basketball manufacturers
Spalding
American company, the official supplier of basketballs for the National Basketball Association and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The company produces balls that do not lose color over time and have a wear-resistant coating.
Wilson Sporting Goods Company
American company, manufacturer of Solution balls, which are distinguished by their ability to absorb moisture during the game and maintain control. Official suppliers for league games: VTB United League, National University Sports Association (NASS), Moscow Basketball League.
Molten Corporation
Japanese company, official supplier of basketballs for all international competitions held under the auspices of FIBA and FIBA Europe, including the Olympic Games and World and European Championships. Since 2004, GL7/GL6 has been the official ball of the Russian Basketball Federation.
Rawlings
American company, produces 10 panel balls (Ten model). Official balls at the tournaments of the Amateur Sports Union and Gas Maker.
Nike
Official supplier of basketballs for ULEB games. In the Philippines, it is used as the official ball in the tournaments of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (USA) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. 4005 Official Tournament Balls are used in competition.
All of these companies also produce balls for the consumer market.
It wants to stay in motion so the ball pushes into the ground when it hits, compressing the air inside. The ground pushes up with an equal, but opposite amount of force resulting in the ball bouncing back up in to your hand (Law #3). The energy in the compressed air is transferred back to the ball pushing it back into motion. If you were to take your hand away and stop dribbling, the ball would continue to bounce due to Newton’s first law, but would slow down and eventually stop due to friction. 
When forces collide, friction naturally slows things down over time and the more points of contact an object has with another surface the more friction comes into play. So the bumps on the basketball basically increase the surface area of the ball and the amount of friction acting on it. This makes the pebbled ball ideal for a player to grip, pass quickly, and dribble without fear that the ball will slip away in a random direction. 
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Every part of that explanation can change how a ball bounces in the real world. What’s the ball made of? How much air is in it? What kind of floor is underneath you? How far did the ball fall? Heck, what planet are you on? Basketball’s gonna be different on Mars. Just saying. So let’s choose one of those variables and play with it so we can look at the results. Today you will be doing science in one of the most satisfying ways possible: dropping stuff to see what happens.
So how come different surfaces bounced higher than others? It all has to do with how energy moves between the ball and the ground.
A hard surface, like concrete or hardwood, hardly absorbs any, so most of the kinetic energy of the fall goes into bouncing the ball back up. A soft surface, like grass or carpet, absorbs more energy from the fall, so there’s less left to push the ball back up, and it bounces pretty badly. Pretty obvious now why indoor basketball courts are wood and not carpet, and outdoor ones are asphalt and not astroturf.
6m x 15.24m. Etc. etc. 
This means that it must be firm and at the same time strong and elastic enough so as not to cause discomfort and injury to the players. 
But very soon, on the personal order of the founder of basketball, James Naismith, a special ball was developed ... from woven leather. The model was also not great, but for a while it was enough. The modern basketball was invented at 1948, and patented only 50 years later. Since 1972, basketballs have been made from artificial leather. But in 1992, balls made of composite materials were firmly established in the game. 
The NBA now plays with Spalding balls, the NCAA with Wilson, and the FIBA with Molten. But if the ball is the first one, and even more so when we plan to play normally on the street, then we boldly take Nike - quality, durability, wear resistance and excellent handling are guaranteed, plus the price will also please. Based on materials from the site https://tennismag.com.ua/ . -Step-1.jpg/aid8503602-v4-728px-Do-a-Euro-Step-Layup-(Basketball)-Step-1.jpg)
Asphalt and parquet are completely different surfaces, they have different stiffness, and the ball bounce is different on them. To buy the right ball, look at the special markings. 
With a ball that is not suitable for weight, it will be difficult for a child to master the technique correctly. Children compensate for the heaviness of the ball due to the position of the shoulder during the throw. Over time, this can develop into a habit, and it will be more difficult for the child to readjust. Such problems can be avoided if you immediately choose a comfortable ball. 
If it is heavily soiled, then make a simple soapy solution, soak a rag in it and clean the ball. Do not use abrasives or solvents as they may damage the skin. 
Official suppliers for league games: VTB United League, National University Sports Association (NASS), Moscow Basketball League. 
