Diameter2.4 tenths m
1.1 hundredthsSemi truck lengths
627 trillionthsEarth-to-Moon distances
1.6 tenthsBlue whale hearts
~9.5 inches for official NBA size 7
Photo by TJ Dragotta on Unsplash
Regulation Basketball
The orange sphere that built a billion-dollar league/Everyday Objects
An official NBA basketball is a size 7 ball with a circumference of 29.5 inches and a weight between 567 and 624 grams. It must bounce to a height of 1.2 to 1.4 meters when dropped from 1.8 meters. The iconic orange color with black seams was championed by Coach Tony Hinkle in the 1950s because it was easier for spectators to see. Before that, basketballs were dark brown.
Measurements
Mass6.2 tenths kg
94.5 trillionthsHoover Dam masses
1.4 hundredthsGrocery carts
Upper end of regulation range (567-624 g)
Circumference7.5 tenths m
2.5 hundredthsWater polo pools
2.1 quintillionthsOrion Nebula diameters
29.5 inches per NBA regulation
Inflation pressure55,158 Pa
6.1 hundredthsEspresso machines
1.4 thousandthsDeep sea pressures
~8 psi; NBA regulation is 7.5-8.5 psi
Required bounce height1.32 m
471 trillionElectron radii
2.6 tenthsBeaver dam lengths
When dropped from 1.8 m onto hardwood; must reach 1.2-1.4 m
Volume7.3 thousandths m³
7.3 quadrillionMitochondria
1.2 tenthsBeer kegs
About 7.35 liters of air inside