When researching the math behind sports, I found that there are a multitude of formulas that go behind the simple actions in sports such as basketball and baseball. Basketball is a game played between two teams of five players in which goals are scored by throwing a ball through a netted hoop fixed above each end of the court. Baseball is a ball game played between two teams of nine on a field with a diamond-shaped circuit of four bases. To be successful in these sports, one must make their baskets, and hit the ball a certain way.
The point of this exploration is to delve into the math behind these sports, and see what formulas occur during a game. I chose this topic, because I love sports and play them multiple times a …show more content…
Players attempt to shoot the ball at a 45o angle. To find the velocity at which a player would need to throw the ball in order to make the basket one would want to find the range of the ball when it is thrown at a 45o angle. The formula for the range of the ball is

The angle the ball is thrown at is 45o, so the formula then becomes:

Another shot taken in basketball is the three point, which is taken 25 feet from the goal. The graph of the range function displays the force the player must throw the ball in order to make a 3 point shot.

Plugging in the feet from the basket (range), the formula now becomes:



After solving this formula, it shows that in order to score a 3 point shot, one must throw the ball at 28 feet per second, or 19mph.
Baseball Baseball can also be looked at from a formulaic standpoint. The throwing and hitting of a ball have given formulas. In baseball, the pitcher wants to throw the ball in such a way that he will strike out the batter. If the throw is too high or low then it is ruled a ball, and the batter has 3 more opportunities to make contact with the ball. The batter wants to hit the ball in such a way that it will be difficult for an outfielder to catch. With that being said, this is the equation for finding the projectile motion of a baseball will travel:

where all distances are measured in feet, ho is the
The point of this exploration is to delve into the math behind these sports, and see what formulas occur during a game. I chose this topic, because I love sports and play them multiple times a …show more content…
Players attempt to shoot the ball at a 45o angle. To find the velocity at which a player would need to throw the ball in order to make the basket one would want to find the range of the ball when it is thrown at a 45o angle. The formula for the range of the ball is

The angle the ball is thrown at is 45o, so the formula then becomes:

Another shot taken in basketball is the three point, which is taken 25 feet from the goal. The graph of the range function displays the force the player must throw the ball in order to make a 3 point shot.

Plugging in the feet from the basket (range), the formula now becomes:



After solving this formula, it shows that in order to score a 3 point shot, one must throw the ball at 28 feet per second, or 19mph.
Baseball Baseball can also be looked at from a formulaic standpoint. The throwing and hitting of a ball have given formulas. In baseball, the pitcher wants to throw the ball in such a way that he will strike out the batter. If the throw is too high or low then it is ruled a ball, and the batter has 3 more opportunities to make contact with the ball. The batter wants to hit the ball in such a way that it will be difficult for an outfielder to catch. With that being said, this is the equation for finding the projectile motion of a baseball will travel:

where all distances are measured in feet, ho is the