Question

Two basketball players are essentially equal in all respects. (They are the same height, they jump with the same initial velocity, etc.) In particular, by jumping they can raise their centers of mass the same vertical distance, (called H their "vertical leap"). The first player, Arabella, wishes to shoot over the second player, Boris, and for this she needs to be as high above Boris as possible. Arabella jumps at time , and Boris jumps later, at time (his reaction time). Assume that Arabella has not yet reached her maximum height when Boris jumps.
1)Find the vertical displacement , D(t) = H(a)(t) - H(b)(t) as a function of time for the interval 0 < t < t(r) , where H(a)(t) is the height of the raised hands of Arabella, while H(b)(t) is the height of the raised hands of Boris.

Express the vertical displacement in terms of H, g , and t.

Answer 1

The reaction time of Boris is t(r), so before that, Boris will not have jumped. Thus, H(b)(t) = 0
The vertical displacement will simply be
D(t) = H(a)(t)