Accomplished ballet dancers and basketball players often appear to "hang" in the air when jumping. About everyone has heard the expression "hang time". Does this really happen or is it just an illusion? One of the most accomplished leapers, Darrel Griffith, had a standing vertical jump of 4 ft that lasted a total of only 1 second. (If you find this hard to believe, use one of the freefall equations to check it out!)
Consider Darrel Griffith's 4 ft vertical leap and answer the following questions:
- Does Darrel spend more time in the air while between 0 and 2 ft from the ground or while between 2 and 4 ft? Explain.
- From the very beginning to the very end of his jump, does his head move through just 4 ft? Explain.