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Question
The free throw line in basketball is 4.57 m (15 ft) from the basket, which is 3.05 m (10 ft) above the floor. A player standing on the free throw line throws the ball with an initial speed of 8.15 m/s, releasing it at a height of 2.44 m (8 ft) above the floor. At what angle above the horizontal must the ball be thrown to exactly hit the basket? Note that most players will use a large initial angle rather than a flat shot because it allows for a larger margin of error. Explicitly show how you follow the steps involved in solving projectile motion problems.
$\theta_1 = 30.4^\circ$
$\theta_2 = 67.2^\circ$
Solution Video

# OpenStax College Physics Solution, Chapter 3, Problem 44 (Problems & Exercises) (11:59)

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Submitted by johngrose on Sat, 01/29/2022 - 18:40

Hey Shaun just a heads up the text has updated and the initial velocity has been changed to 7.15m/s

Submitted by ShaunDychko on Mon, 01/31/2022 - 10:58

Hi johngrose, thank you very much for mentioning this. What version of College Physics are you working from? The online version still lists 8.15 m/s, and I also checked the PDF for the AP version of the College Physics text, as well as a printed version of College Physics.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Shaun