How High Should A Basketball Bounce?

Are you a basketball enthusiast and wonder why some basketballs bounce better than yours? You might think that basketballs made by top sports brands like Nike, Franklin, Champion Sports, and Spalding bounce better. However, the bouncing of a basketball has nothing to do with its brand.

A basketball will bounce according to the air pressure inside it. If the air pressure is according to that printed on the basketball, the basketball will bounce higher. On average, the bounce rate of a fully inflated ball is 60% of the level from which it’s dropped.

When the ball hits a solid surface, a force is produced that bounces the ball higher. The bounce rate of the ball is directly proportional to the air pressure in the ball. So, a ball with greater pressure will bounce higher, and the one with lower air pressure will bounce less.

The air inside the basketball is the air that we breathe. This creates pressure when the ball hits the ground.

If you want to know more about basketball and bouncing and how high a basketball should bounce, keep reading the article to the end and find out.

Air Pressure And Bouncing Basketball

A typical basketball needs 8lbs of air to be correctly inflated. Most of the manufacturers print the required air pressure on the ball.  The National Basketball Federation recommends inflating the ball with 7.5 to 9.5 psi to have maximum bounce. If your basketball fulfills these requirements, then it can have maximum bounce.

You can perform a simple test to check whether your basketball has proper air pressure or not. Drop the ball from shoulder height and leave it to bounce. If it bounces back above the height of your hips, then it has the appropriate air pressure required to play on the basketball court.

If your ball is not bouncing back to the desired height, take an electric pump and inflate the ball to the desired pressure so that it can create magic while you play on the court.   

Factors Affecting Air Pressure In Basketball

Like other physical parameters, the air pressure inside the basketball is also affected by some physical factors. Three main factors affect the air pressure of the ball:

1. Ball Pressure

A good quality basketball has an elastic bladder to indicate the presence of air. The elastic bladder of your ball is increased when you inflate it to the proper limit. This makes it capable of rebounding when it hits the ground. High air pressure in the ball leads to a higher bounce. If the ball is not bouncing well, the air pressure inside the ball is low.

While inflating the ball to the desired pressure, you must not overinflate the ball because it can break the bladder of the ball and can also reduce buoyancy and cause leakage. Overinflating the ball can cause the ball to burst. Leather basketballs are expensive, so you should inflate them carefully to avoid waste of money.

2. Environmental Pressure

The pressure outside the basketball remains constant, but you must remember that high environmental pressure can affect the ball’s bounce. Environmental pressure will have little to no effect on the ball’s bouncing when you play outdoors at regular altitude.

3. Temperature

At low temperatures, the pressure inside the ball declines. The bounce is directly affected by the air pressure, so due to low pressure, the bouncing of the basketball decreases.

At average room temperature, the bounce impact pushes the bottom surface, and the air inside the ball is compressed.

This can be explained through Boyle’s law which says that the pressure of the air inside the basketball increases when the ball hits the solid ground. This is mainly noted during summers.

Conversely, the pressure decreases in winters, and the ball hitting the ground will have a more negligible effect. So, the ball will not bounce higher as it does at high temperatures.

How High Does A Basketball Bounce When Dropped From 5 Feet?

When you drop the ball from 5 feet, it should bounce at least 3 feet higher. This is not true in all cases because the bouncing rate of the ball depends on the air pressure. If you drop the ball from 5 feet, it will bounce higher only if the air pressure in the ball is equal to the air pressure required to inflate the ball entirely.

However, if the air pressure inside the ball is low, its bounce rate will also be lowered. So, when you drop the ball with low air pressure from 5 feet, it will bounce less than 3 feet.   

How High Does A Basketball Bounce 1 Meter?

A basketball approximately bounces to 0.56 meters when it is dropped from the height of one meter. The bounce rate of the ball is 60% when it is dropped from a height. However, the drop rate of the ball depends on the air pressure inside the ball. The bouncing rate is higher if the air inside the ball provides enough pressure.

Conversely, if the air pressure inside the ball is lower, the bounce rate drops. Not only this, but the bouncing rate is also dependent on the factors that affect the air pressure. The bounce rate is greater at high temperatures, whereas, at low temperatures, the bounce rate is significantly reduced.

Related Questions

Does Drop Height Affect Bounce Height?

Bounce height is affected by drop height. If the drop height of the basketball increases, the bounce height significantly increases. When the drop height increases, the gravitational potential energy also increases. When the ball hits the ground, this energy is converted to kinetic energy that shows up as action when the ball rebounds.

How High Does The Average Basketball Bounce?

The bouncing capacity of the ball depends on the air pressure and the dropping height. If you drop the ball from a greater height, the bounce rate will be higher. So, an average basketball dropped from a higher place will bounce higher. If the air pressure inside the ball is good, then the bounce rate of the ball will be reasonable too.

How Do You Know If A Basketball Is Too Bouncy?

If you drop the ball from a significant height and it bounces more than 60%, you can say it is too bouncy. The ball’s bouncing depends on the height from which it is dropped and the pressure inside the ball. If the air pressure in the ball is according to the requirement, then the basketball will be bouncy.

Conclusion

A basketball game is all about having a ball with excellent bouncing capacity so that dribbling is manageable. The bouncing behavior of the ball depends on the air pressure inside it and the height from which it is dropped on the ground. If you want your basketball to become more bouncy, keep the air pressure inside in mind.