1
lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 1 • Physics I

Which situation during a basketball game involves centripetal acceleration?

Answer
A
A player passes the ball to another player.
B
The official tosses the ball up for the opening tip-off.
C
A player spins a basketball on his finger.
D
The basketball bounces off the backboard.

Explanation

Centripetal acceleration occurs when an object moves in a circle and accelerates toward the center of that circular path. When a player spins a basketball on his finger, parts of the ball move in circles around its axis, so they have centripetal acceleration. Passing, tossing, or bouncing the ball does not describe circular motion here.

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