9781422274767

INTRODUCTION Macaroni and cheese. Texting and emojis. STEM and sports. What? STEM—and sports? Yes! When one thinks about STEM classes and sports, they seem like opposites, right? You’re either in the classroom learning, or you’re on the court. But STEM and sports really do go together. STEM is education in four specific areas—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Rather than being taught as separate subjects, STEM curriculum is integrated for real-world learning. When a science class visits an amusement park, the students learn the principles of physics, use math to make calculations, and learn about the engineering and technology used to construct roller coasters and other rides. Basketball is a game of athletic strength and skill, but it is also a game of science and energy. Newton’s laws of physics definitely apply to basketball. > Newton’s First Law: An object at rest stays at rest. To move, an external force must act on it. This defines the law of inertia. > Newton‘s Second Law of Motion defines the famous F=ma equation. This law says that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. The harder the basketball is thrown, the more force it has. > Newton‘s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction Basketball players make some amazing plays, but you might be surprised to find out there is lots of science behind those plays. Let’s take a look at the STEM concepts in basketball. We’ll explore concepts like force, inertia, acceleration, and projectile motion—all important to the game.

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