Is My Kinematic Solution for a Basketball Shot Correct?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a kinematic problem involving the trajectory of a basketball shot. The scenario includes a player shooting a ball at a 45-degree angle from a distance of 4 meters to a net that is 1 meter high. Participants are analyzing the initial speed required for the ball to successfully enter the net.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of kinematic equations to separate the motion into horizontal and vertical components. There are attempts to derive the initial speed needed and questions about the correctness of the original poster's calculations. Some participants suggest alternative methods for calculating time of flight and horizontal velocity.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with participants providing different equations and methods for solving the problem. There is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the original poster's solution, but several participants are engaging with the problem and offering insights that may lead to a clearer understanding.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating issues related to the sign of gravitational acceleration and the interpretation of variables in their equations. There is also a clarification regarding the height variable in the context of the equations being used.

Chazz569
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I'm working on this problem and I've came up with a solution but however I couldn't find anything else to verify the problem so if you could let me know if I did it correctly and help me on the right track what would be super.

The problem goes as folllow: A player is shooting a ball into a net, he shooting with a 45 degree angle and is 4m away from the net and the net is one meter up. How fast must he throw the ball for it to go in (initial speed).

I used the equation: D=v1*t+1/2*a*t^2 and split it into X and Y which gives me these equations:
Y: 1=v1*t+1/2*(-9.8)*t^2 (we allways assume -9.8m/s^2 for gravity)
X: 4=v1*t+1/2* (0) *t^2
and solved it gived me 5.11 m/s but since that the X/Y speed we want the longest line of the triangle so I do
Cos(45)=5.11208/x
x=7.22957m/s
So my answer would be 7.22957m/s

Is this correct or I am way off?
 
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[tex]x(t) = V_0cos(45)t[/tex]
[tex]y(t) = V_0sin(45)t + \frac{gt^2}{2}[/tex]

You want x(t) to be 4
and y(t) to be 1

You should get a system of equations which you solve for V_0. Your answer seems a bit high.
 
The second formula should be :

[tex]y(t) = V_0sin(45)t - \frac{gt^2}{2}[/tex]

because the y-axis is pointing upwards and gravity is downwards

marlon
 
What I would probably do is calculate your time of flight. You are traveling 4m right and 1m up.

[tex]T_{flight} = sqrt{\frac{2h}{g}}[/tex] from the equation you provided.

Then take the time of flight, divide the distance traveled in the x direction by it and you'll get [tex]V_x[/tex]
 
Hey thanks for you help. I used the equations and I got 7.22957m/s as well so I'm guessing it's safe to assume I got the right answer? Thanks for your help, it's really nice to have resources like this forums to get some help :)

edit: I just saw your last reply whozum, give me time to check with your equations as well and I'll get back to you guy with the answer I get.

edit2: Sorry but what does the h stand for in that equation? I'm guessing the G stand for gravity which in my case would be -9.8m/s
 
Last edited:
h is the height to travel, h=1m

For V in the x direction

[tex]T = sqrt{2h/g} = sqrt{2/9.8} = 0.452[/tex]

[tex]d = 4m, t = 0.452s, v = d/t[/tex]

[tex]v_x = \frac{4m}{0.452s} = 8.85m/s[/tex]

For V in the y direction

[tex]y(t) = V_ysin(45)t+\frac{gt^2}{2}[/tex]

Solving for V_y:

[tex]V_y = \frac{1-\frac{gt^2}{2}}{sin(45)t}[/tex]

[tex]V_y = \frac{1-\frac{(-9.8)(0.452)^2}{2}}{sin(45)(0.452)}[/tex]

[tex]V^2 = V_x^2+V_y^2[/tex]
 
Last edited:
Well that's gives me the Sqrt of -.204082 which is a non-real number.
 
Take g to be positive 9.8 instead of -9.8. Look at my work above.
 

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