Assume: A 78 g basketball is launched at an

angle of 54.5

and a distance of 10.4 m from
the basketball goal. The ball is released at the
same height (ten feet) as the basketball goal’s
height.
A basketball player tries to make a long
jump-shot as described above.
The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s
2
.
What speed must the player give the ball?
Answer in units of m/s.

1 answer

the mass is not a factor

horizontal speed = Sh = S cos(54.5)

the flight time to the basket is
... 10.4 m / Sh = 10.4 * cos(54.5) / S

vertical speed = Sv = S sin(54.5)

gravity slows the vertical speed to zero at the peak, halfway through the flight

Sv / g = 1/2 * 10.4 / Sh

S / [g * sin(54.5)] =
... 5.2 * cos(54.5) / S

S^2 = 5.2 * g * sin(54.5) * cos(54.5)