physics

The Physics of Basketball

The Physics of Basketball is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand The Physics of Basketball rather than just read about it. In short: The Physics of Basketball is a non-fiction book by John Fontanella first published on November 15, 2006 that explores the scientific side of basketball. It is written from the perspective of a fan of the game and then through the eyes of a physicist.

Key takeaways

The Physics of Basketball belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect The Physics of Basketball to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Physics of Basketball from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Physics of Basketball is a non-fiction book by John Fontanella first published on November 15, 2006 that explores the scientific side of basketball. It is written from the perspective of a fan of the game and then through the eyes of a physicist. John Fontanella has been a physics professor at the United States Naval Academy since 1971 and was a college basketball player for Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. As a senior in 1967, he was a NAIA First Team All-American. He then earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship to Case Western Reserve where he earned his Ph.D. in Physics. He is currently focusing his research on naval applications of dielectrics.

References

External links Johns Hopkins' Book Site John Fontanella's site

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Physics of Basketball

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Physics of Basketball claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to The Physics of Basketball before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about The Physics of Basketball ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of The Physics of Basketball

In research: The Physics of Basketball appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses The Physics of Basketball in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: The Physics of Basketball is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2006 non-fiction books, Basketball books, Physics book stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Physics of Basketball outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study The Physics of Basketball in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Physics of Basketball means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain The Physics of Basketball out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Physics of Basketball in simple terms?

Why does The Physics of Basketball matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study The Physics of Basketball?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on The Physics of Basketball.