The difference between a win and a loss during a football or basketball game can all come down to physics. Simple aerodynamics orchestrate the connection between physical capabilities, and the science behind how a basketball or football moves through the air. It’s not all about talent when it comes to these sports, as physics and aerodynamics play a huge role in how these pieces of leather end up in another player's hands, through the goalposts, or through the net with that satisfying sound known as a “swish”. In physics, the subtopic known as aerodynamics is incredibly in depth, especially in sports. From how the ball cuts through the air, to how a basketball grips the rim to enter, basketball and football provide a firm and distinct
introduction
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It could be a 60mph dart of a throw by a professional quarterback in the NFL, or the high arching 3-pointer of an NBA player, but when fans spot a ball flying through the air, they know anything can happen. Chad Orzel, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Union
College in New York, has done his research on the physics of a football, and he states that “If you make the ball spin fast enough, it will stay in the same axis it’s pointing towards and hit the intended target straight-on, Orzel says. This follows the conservation of angular momentum: an object preserves its rotational speed if no external force is acting on it” (Source 1, Orzel, popsci.com). There is no external force acting on it, until the ball slows down due to gravity, or unless the football hits the receivers hands. With the football cutting through the air to deliver to a receiver, it makes it much much easier when the ball is cutting through the sky in a way that
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The perfect trajectory and perfect amount of energy produced will never be achieved no matter how many high prospect quarterbacks are drafted. The vast world of sports has introduced so many levels of entertainment to the American people, but the research that goes behind the “why?” of sports, is simply unimaginable to fully grasp. The physics, the aerodynamics, the data surrounding momentum and pressure, and the complete science behind the perfect spiral or “swish” in sports, are truly fascinating and make the games so much more enjoyable, now that the knowledge of “why?” has been achieved. In basketball and football, each sport portrays the laws of motion, the physics behind the perfect spiral, and the use of aerodynamics to deeply represent how utilizing physics can gain an athlete a competitive advantage. Having this knowledge of physics could allow a regular quarterback to become a great one, or a regular NBA player to become an extremely efficient shooter, just by learning what makes that saying “swish” noise. The perfect spiral or the perfect technique for shooting a basketball will never be truly achieved, but by practicing what research has