Final answer:
Stricter hand-checking rules in the NBA in 2004 made it easier for offensive players to reach the basket. Calculating angles for free throws involves projectile motion physics, and the pressure in a basketball must be adjusted for proper bouncing, with gravity's effect causing the net force on a ball to be below horizontal. The correct answer is option: B. offensive players an advantage since it's easier to reach the basket.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rules against hand-checking in the NBA became stricter in 2004, and the effect of this was that it gave offensive players an advantage since it's easier to reach the basket without being impeded by defensive players' hands. Hence, the correct answer is B. offensive players an advantage since it's easier to reach the basket.
To answer the physics-related basketball question, calculating the angle for a free throw involves solving a problem of projectile motion where two main components are considered: the horizontal distance to the basket and the vertical distance from the release point to the hoop. This requires an understanding of both kinematics and projectile motion.
A basketball thrown from the free throw line with an initial velocity must be angled precisely to counteract gravity and land in the hoop. The physics behind the motion illuminates how force, acceleration, velocity, and trajectory affect the ball's path. As for the pressure in the basketball, officials adjust it before the game to ensure it bounces correctly. When the gravitational force is taken into account for the ball in projectile motion, the net external force would be below horizontal due to the gravitational pull.