The Physics of Volleyball

Volleyball consists of serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking.

In 1895, WIlliam Morgan invented the sport of volleyball.

Force: F= m x v

The mass of the ball stays the same, but the acceleration of the ball varies. When force is applied, the volleyball goes in the direction the force is exerted. The max of the ball can be from .26-.28 kg

Momentum: M= m x v

This is the quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity. When hitting, you want to put as much momentum as you can into the volleyball. The shorter time your hand is in contact with the ball, greater the momentum. 

Newton's First Law: "law of inertial"

An object will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. 
Example: When the ball falls it will continue to fall until it hits the ground or is passed by another player. Also, the net will stay at rest unless it's hit by a player or ball. 

Newton's second Law: "F=m x a"

Acceleration is produced when a force acts like a mass. 
Example: the force the volleyball is hit with.

Newton's Third Law

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. 
Example:Action-serving or spiking. Reaction-Ball bouncing off on the receiver's arm. 

 On my volleyball team at school, I played the position as middle blocker!!!:)

Blocking is a very useful tool in volleyball, because it serves as an obstacle for the offensive hitter and helps defend. Blocking allows a portion of the court of be taken away from the hitter and allows the defense to play more court because that area is shut off.  To successfully block, the hands and arms have to seal the net, creating a wall for the hitter to work around.  If there are two blockers, the outside blocker angles his or her hands so that the hitter can not knock the ball off their hands and out of bounds.

The hands on a block should have the fingers spread far apart and the thumbs should point towards the ceiling, maximizing the amount of area occupied and putting the strongest jointed finger directly in front of the ball. The blocker is located at the net and jumps straight up, reaching up and over the net to try and stop the hit from the opposite team and direct it back into their court.