Question

Steve plays a ball toss game. He stands at the starting point and throws the ball into a basket 10 feet away. The height of the ball (perpendicular distance from the ground) is a function of the horizontal distance from the starting point. The table below shows the relationship of the height of the ball and the horizontal distance from the starting point that the ball has traveled.

Answer 1

The question is about calculating the angle for a successful free throw in basketball, which involves understanding projectile motion in physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked for the angle at which a basketball player must throw a ball to score from the free throw line. This is a physics problem that involves projectile motion and can be solved by using the kinematic equations for two-dimensional motion. You would need to calculate the necessary initial angle of projection that allows the ball to clear the height of the basket and cover the horizontal distance from the free throw line to the basket. Typically, the problem is approached by separately analyzing the horizontal and vertical components of the motion. Since most players prefer an arcing shot, which provides a larger margin of error, the angle is expected to be relatively large. To find this angle, one must consider factors such as the initial speed of the ball, the height from which it is released, the distance to the basket, and the height of the basket.