The March Madness craze begins soon. People have already started creating brackets to figure out who will be the best team in college basketball. With all this basketball on people’s minds, it’s a good time to look at some of the physics, math, and art behind the most exciting sport in March.
The Ball
The first and most important element of the entire sport is the basketball. The ball hasn’t always been the bumpy ball we use today. When teams first started playing, things like soccer balls were used. If you picture a soccer ball, you realize it’s far smoother than a basketball.
Players had trouble dribbling or passing the ball because it would slip out of their hands. So the ball was made bigger, and bumps were added to make the ball easier to hold on to. The bumps cause more friction between the ball and the player’s hands, and the friction makes the ball easier to handle. With bumps added to the basketball, actions such as dribbling and passing are easier. Both of these actions have elements of physics.
The Dribble
The simple act of dribbling the ball highlights each of Newton’s three laws. When you start to dribble:
You and gravity both apply force on the ball.
The ball accelerates toward the ground with the force of gravity.
After the ball hits the ground, an equal but opposite amount of force acts on the ball, forcing it back up into your hand.
The more force applied to the ball at the beginning of the dribble, the higher the bounce. The height of the bounce is also affected by the surface being dribbled on and the air inside the ball. If the surface is denser, less force is transferred away from the ball, and the ball bounces higher. The most common basketball surface in a gym is maple wood because it has a high density rating and high shock resistance, which helps with bouncing and athlete safety when jumping. The ball has far less bounce on a soft surface such as carpet.
The air inside the ball helps with the transfer of energy. When the ball hits the ground, the air inside is compressed. The energy in the compressed air pushes back in the opposite direction of the force and causes the ball to bounce. This is why a ball with less air won’t bounce as well.
The Pass
When passing the ball, players must always compensate for gravity. You normally aim to pass the ball to someone at chest level. If you try to pass a ball straight to someone’s chest, you will probably hit them lower than intended. This is because gravity is constantly forcing the ball toward the ground. To compensate for gravity, the trajectory of a pass is usually above the intended target.
The Shot
The same compensation for gravity is present when you shoot the ball. With the basket positioned 10 feet off the ground, a straight shot won’t ever make it into the hoop. When shooting a basket, you apply an upward force to the ball and gravity brings the ball back down. The initial force you apply to the ball along with the force of gravity is what gives your basketball shot that pretty arc similar to a parabola. Every shot in basketball is a little taste of geometry, and the best shot that applies a little bit of geometry ends with an always-satisfying swish.
The Bracket
So, we can’t talk spring ball without including the infamous March tournament bracket.
Some might say picking the right outcomes in the bracket is an art. Others might contend it’s a science and that you can apply engineering and statistics to selecting your top teams. One example is the University of Illinois’ analytics-based approach.
With a little creativity, you could even use basketball to test some physics lessons in class. A simple activity could be to vary air pressure in a basketball and test its effect on the bounce of the ball.
Or check out these ideas:
“How to Incorporate March Madness into Your Classroom”
“March Madness: Using Tournament Brackets to Debate Academic Questions”
"Basketball Science: Hooking March Madness Fever to Hands-on Sports Science Experiments”
With a little imagination, you could easily turn the hype around basketball during March into an exciting hands-on STEM education experience for students!
TOPICS: IN THE CLASSROOM, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Science, STEM, Engineering
The Science of Basketball
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
Physics in basketball - online presentation
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BPOU of the Vologda region “Cherepovets Forestry Mechanical College named after V. P. Chkalov” Physics and sports Completed by a student of the ME-11 group: Flegant A. E. Lecturer: Belushkina Yu. V. Physics in basketball Purpose of work: to show how knowledge of physics can be used in basketball Physics surrounds us everywhere , Whatever we do, wherever we go. Her laws accompany us. And even in sports they act. Basketball is a sport of the strong and young Today basketball - is an athletic game, which is characterized by high motor activity, great intensity game actions, requiring from the player
ultimate mobilization 90 capabilities and speed. The game consists in playing one against one team of 5 and try to score more than balls in the enemy basket. In modern basketball, you can get high sports results by combining a good game with the use of physical laws. During the game the player must take into account the physics of the throwing process: • Dependence of the range of motion of the body on the angle of flight; • The effectiveness of the completed pass is increased if the player is able to assess the strength of his legs and arms, applied to the ball to hit the ring or pass to a partner; • the use of the laws of conservation of the energy and momentum of the ball hit at the moment of its receipt has a great influence. This energy is transmitted to the flying ball by the player's hands . Laws of physics in basketball There are two sections in basketball technique: movement technique (kinetic) and ball handling technique (dynamic). Kinetic Structure Dynamic the structure is connected with the movement of the player in space and time: how he moves - quickly, but, along a straight line or along a curve, uniformly with acceleration. is related to throws of the ball. The dynamic structure is determined by the forces created by the player , which act at the moment of receiving a pass or of throwing Running Running is the main means of movement in the game. While running on player act friction force, gravity force, air resistance force . Running speed can increase due to muscular efforts. Jumps To jump, the player creates with his muscles such a "pushing force", which allows him to jump, get off the floor, overcoming the force of gravity. Throwing, passing When throwing and passing the ball, the player must evaluate the force created by his legs and arms and applied to the ball for "losing" the ring or passing the ball to a partner. Catching the ball At the moment when the ball is caught, a hit occurs, transfer of energy and momentum. The energy of the flying ball is transferred to the hands. Kick The essence of the game is to throw the ball into the ring. 99% of all balls that hit the upper corner of the "square" , after bouncing off the backboard will hit the ring; and there is a regularity : the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection (with elastic impact). RIGHT SNEAKERS Quick acceleration from a standstill, rapid movements of a basketball player in a game, maneuvers, turns, a sharp change of directions, the need to stop immediately - all this affects the outcome of the game. Properly selected basketball shoes will dampen the force of hitting the surface when jumping, create stability when moving. Basic requirements for basketball shoes: good grip on the playground; Jump Drum Softening leg loads; ensuring the freedom of movement of the athlete .
12.
correct shoes CORRECT SNEAKERS The outsole of the basketball shoe provides grip on surfaces and cushions vertical impacts when jumping. It should be wide and flat. The quality of the sole for indoors and for outdoors is different. Sole for smooth hall floors - soft, corrugated, anti-slip. Good clings to wood flooring rubber outsole. The herringbone pattern further enhances cornering and stopping grip. Basketball shoes for the street are equipped with a dense, hard sole , resistant to abrasion on asphalt. I think many people paid attention to the fact that while running or walking on the parquet, most of the sneakers make a rather nasty sound (squeak). It comes from the friction of the coated sole. Even though this sound is is unpleasant, it means that shoes like are usually of high quality and allow the athlete to slow down in a timely manner and without problems. Conclusion: The laws of physics are present in basketball, and their knowledge helps to improve results in games. Thanks to this knowledge, the player retains health, develops endurance and the will to achieve the goal. Talent wins matches, team play and intelligence win championships. Thank you for your attention!
English Russian Rules
How basketball affects human health — Nikita Tyagushev on vc.ru
If you want to improve your health and you can't choose a sport, you should pay attention to basketball. It's a fast paced, addictive game. It will help to train the body physically and strengthen morale.
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Due to intensive running, high jumps and maneuvering movements, the overall development of the human body is ensured: muscles; respiratory, nervous, hormonal, cardiovascular systems; immunity.
Endurance is just as important in basketball as shooting and jumping technique. This is the body's ability to intensively perform actions without reducing their effectiveness. If the body cannot withstand physical activity throughout the match, even technique will not help here. Endurance also affects the development of coordination of movements and volitional qualities of a person. Regular basketball lessons and individual endurance training will make the body strong: the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems will be strengthened; metabolic processes will accelerate. This will mean that a person will be able to withstand higher loads than before. The body will begin to work smoothly in extreme conditions.
Playing basketball implies the presence of sharp unexpected turns, rapid movement in space, specific throws and jumps. All this contributes to the development of the human vestibular apparatus, it perceives changes in the position of the body in space. A developed vestibular apparatus is useful in the absence of dizziness during sudden movements, seasickness. During basketball lessons, all the muscles of the body are trained, since it includes all the basic exercises for working out the muscles: running, squatting, jumping, turning, throwing. Thus, the muscles will be constantly in good shape.
Basketball lessons have an impact on a person's height due to jumps, which are considered one of the main exercises in basketball. They effectively stretch the spine. Due to this, the growth of a person increases.
Constant physical activity during basketball improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system: the walls of blood vessels are strengthened, pressure normalizes, and constant blood flow throughout the body without stagnation is ensured.
During basketball, the frequency of human respiratory movements increases. It is 50-60 cycles per minute. The volume of oxygen consumed in this case is 120–150 liters. As a result, the lungs gradually expand: their vital capacity increases.
Basketball also has an impact on leadership development.
When the ball hits the ground, the air inside is compressed. The energy in the compressed air pushes back in the opposite direction of the force and causes the ball to bounce. This is why a ball with less air won’t bounce as well.
Every shot in basketball is a little taste of geometry, and the best shot that applies a little bit of geometry ends with an always-satisfying swish.
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!
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. 
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. 
P. Chkalov” 
correct shoes CORRECT SNEAKERS 
This is the body's ability to intensively perform actions without reducing their effectiveness. If the body cannot withstand physical activity throughout the match, even technique will not help here. Endurance also affects the development of coordination of movements and volitional qualities of a person. Regular basketball lessons and individual endurance training will make the body strong: the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems will be strengthened; metabolic processes will accelerate. This will mean that a person will be able to withstand higher loads than before. The body will begin to work smoothly in extreme conditions. 
During basketball lessons, all the muscles of the body are trained, since it includes all the basic exercises for working out the muscles: running, squatting, jumping, turning, throwing. Thus, the muscles will be constantly in good shape. 
