Numerical Analysis of the Trajectory of a Basketball Considering Lift and Drag

Abstract:

Basketball players are taught to release the ball with a backward spin. This causes a lift due to the Magnus effect. Added to this there is a drag on the ball which always acts opposite to the direction of motion. In this paper, the trajectory of a basketball considering the lift and drag is calculated using numerical methods and also the force required to shoot the ball with different initial conditions from a distance of 25 feet away from a basket which is at a height of 10 feet is analyzed. A differential equation of motion of the ball in air is framed which accounts for all the forces on the ball. It is solved by discretizing the equation and solved using a C++ code. The trajectory of the balls with different initial conditions is plotted and it is found that as the spin on the ball increases, the effort required to shoot decreases.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 798)
• Pages: 493-499
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.798.493
• Online since: October 2015
• Authors: T.R Nikhilesh*, Prahlad Kulkarni
• Keywords: Basketball, C++, Drag, Magnus Lift, Trajectory

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