When Michael Wilson of the Harlem Globetrotters slam-dunked a basketball, his hang time for the shot was about 1.16 seconds.

Question

What was the vertical distance of his jump, rounded to the nearest tenth of a foot?

Answer 1

To reach this height we need to know his speed when he jumps off the ground.  At maximum height, his final velocity (v_f) is zero.

 

v_f = v_i - gt

 

0 = v_i - gt

 

v_i = gt

 

The maximum height can then be found by

 

y = y_i +v_it -½gt² = yi +(gt)t -½gt2 = yi + ½gt²

 

y = 0 + ½(32.2)(1.16/2)² = 5.42 ft.

 

The hang time is 1.16 s but we only need half the time to get to the rim.