The Force to Dribble a Basketball

844 Words2 Pages

If you think about it, it’s almost impossible to measure the force that it takes to dribble a basketball, unless you have the right tools. Let’s just think about the basic physics that you should know. In order to dribble a basketball you need to apply enough force for the ball to go from your hand to the floor and back up to your hand. When the ball is in your hand it is holding potential energy. Potential energy is the energy that is about to be transferred into kinetic energy, which is when the energy is in use. The ball is in kinetic energy after it leaves your hand and starts to fall. So the force of gravity has to be less than the force of the bounce to keep the dribbling going.
It also depends on brand; different brands have certain effects on certain floors. Most brands are made to bounce better on hardwood floors. The temperature of the room will also affect how you will dribble the basketball, because if the room is really warm, the ball will have more bounce because the atoms of air in the ball have expanded, which makes the ball even more expanded, and that makes the ball bounce more. If the room is cooler than the ball won’t bounce as well, because the atoms are more condense, and that makes the ball flat so it’s harder to dribble. Another variable is air pressure; air pressure is the force of air that expands from inside the ball to the surface of the ball.
So when you bounce a basketball it comes back up to your hand. But if you don’t touch it the ball will bounce again, this time it wouldn’t bounce as high, why is this? Scientist have studied and found out that the gravitational force of the earth makes the ball lose energy. This makes the ball bounce less and less each bounce. Some scientists say that the ba...

... middle of paper ...

...s called the triple-threat, it is very helpful, because you can shout, pass, and dribble from this position, and it makes your arms go around the ball so that it is hard for the defense to take it from you. The only basic thing you need to know about basketball is that you need to be able to dribble well enough to not turn the ball over to the other team. You also need to be able to look around the court while dribbling. Once you’re capable of doing these things you will be set to be a good ball player. But don’t forget without science we wouldn’t be able to accomplish these abilities

Works Cited

10 Advanced Basketball Dribbling Tips
Basketball Science: The Physics of Bounce | Connect a Million Minds
Bouncing Science | Science | Classroom Resources | PBS Learning Media
Newton's 3 Laws of Motion
Science Projects for Beginners: Physical Science | FactMonster.com

Open Document