But what makes a ball bounce? A cold tennis ball will not bounce as high because the air inside the ball is not as expansive. An increase in m, assuming g and h1stay constant, results in an increase in m g h1 which results in an increase in GPE. Does height make a difference? At 2ft, the basketball bounced 15 inches, the tennis ball bounced 12 inches, and the golf. For the most part, the document is a case study in compulsive precision. There are more than 160 different types of tennis surfaces. rubber ball 39 cm 38 cm 41 cm 39 cm. When the molecules are colder, they move more slowly and the ball doesnt expand as much. This is because the ball starts with more GPE. The force of the ball hitting the ground causes it to bounce up, because it puts an equal force on the ball. less air resistance. stay constant, results in an increase in m g h, stay constant, results in a decrease in m g h, The surface onto which the ball is dropped will affect the height to which the ball bounces because for any two objects that collide, the properties of both determine the percentage of the kinetic energy either possesses approaching the collision that is conserved subsequent to the collision taking place (Coefficient to restitution) discounting the effects of air resistance. = The distance between the bottom of the ball at the top of its arc after bouncing and the ground. The Cold Group (-15C) averaged 53.5 cm, the Cool Group (6C) averaged 98.5 cm, the Room Temperature Group (46C) averaged 114.5 cm, the Warm Group (100C) averaged 136.5 cm, and the Hot Group (142.5 cm) averaged 142.5 cm It was determined to be correct to my hypothesis. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. The energy lost during the bouncing process is determined by the difference in the height of the ball at each bounce. Observe the height of the 1st rebound height of the tennis ball. This is because it is easiest as the figure read of the meter rule is the result. Therefore of the GPE that the ball possessed at the beginning some energy is given off as thermal energy. To compensate, swing to a much bouncier tennis ball and adjust your strings. The colder, the lower the ball bounces, and vice versa. Once the ball hits the ground, its displacement is momentarily zero. A lot of Which surface bounces a ball the highest? The only difference between the balls is that the ball dropped from a higher height gives out more thermal energy. A ball bounces in an arc, so measure the height at the top of the arc of the first bounce. This is because the higher the starting height of the ball, the higher the ball's potential energy. Materials 1. Drag is a squared function of velocity and therefore as the ball drops drag increases a greater amount each second. The decision for the size of interval and the amount of results collected will depend upon the time taken to conduct the experiment and any other factors that may become apparent during the preliminary experiment. The energy goes into deforming the ball-- from its original round shape to a squashed shape. - Paper x Drag is a squared function of velocity and therefore as the ball drops drag increases a greater amount each second. There is an activity at home that can be used to investigatebounciness. H is the height of the ball before it is dropped. For a falling object the Coefficient to restitution (C, ) is equal to the velocity squared as the object is travelling at as it leaves the floor (v, ) divided by the velocity squared as it hits the floor (v, If a ball is dropped in a vacuum. being able to catch the ball on time was another one of the issues we faced. Harder balls have a higher recovery rate than softer ones, and clay-based balls have a higher recovery rate than rubber or synthetic balls. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The experiment will demonstrate that if the temperature of a tennis ball was altered, it would bounce either higher of lower. Make a note of which one bounces up higher and how high they bounce! Therefore, Such an impact compresses the ball 1.4-1.6 inches, or about 54-62% of its diameter. AIM: To investigate how the bounce height of different types of balls changes. METHOD: 1. Write each measurement in the data table. For the lower heights the flight time of the ball was extremely short and again it was difficult to move ones head over the distance from h. Do a larger amount of results; 1cm, 2cm, 3cm, 4cm etc. Take your class outside, to an area with a smooth, flat surface. Balls bounce up to 5 . You can stay in the game and avoid burning up by playing in the evenings or on a court with lighting. . I will drop the ball 3 Then they would be dropped from a table, and the height would be measured. Tennis balls are different at sea level and at high altitudes. A glass ball will bounce higher than a rubber ball if it doesnt break. Then when dropping the ball again eye level was kept level with the blue tack. by Jonah Lehrer on September 8, 2011. he official rule book of tennis is 35 pages long. Please enter a search term in the text box. Also it will affect its bouncing properties. It is also necessary to warm a ball, because the energy inside it is released. After the ball reaches terminal velocity, no more GPE is converted into KE is the ball cannot get any faster. For the lowest three points air resistance is approximately equal to zero due to the ball having a low velocity, as it was dropped from a low height, and therefore hits less air particles per second than a ball traveling at a faster speed. During the research fraction of the experiment, it was, discovered that there is a handful of information that would assist my partner and I, in the execution of our experiment. It provided me with five repeats so that the maximum and minimum results could be discounted and a reliable average could be taken. - Basketball x The bounce of the ball is a major factor in the game of tennis. The surface onto which the ball is dropped upon will be kept the same. Kinetic energy and ball shape. The Swiss like to get points over and done with in a short period of time. Not Focus the students on the aim of the experiment (that is, to determine a pattern from which to make comparisons, rather . Balls bounce in ways that are affected by gravity. Once the drag force equals the gravitational force all forces are equal and acceleration stops. Then draw a line to connect the dots. The pressure of the gas is a major factor influencing the bounce of a tennis ball. Results are presented for a tennis ball, a . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". = The distance between the bottom of the ball before it is dropped and the ground. Hot balls were the more likely to bounce higher than cold balls. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. During the preliminary experiment it was established that time was not an important factor that had to be taken into account when deciding how many different heights to drop the ball from and the interval between those heights. Record the new pressure reading in your data table and repeat steps 4 and 5. When it is dropped, the air molecules will squish together and then spring apart. Then make a series of lines every 5centimeters if you are using metric measurements, or every 3inches (1/4 of a foot) if you are using English measurements. on different types of surfaces, then recorded the height of the bounce. This means that we can approximately calculate the amount of energy that the ball conserves as it hits the floor and therefore the height to which it will bounce for any given height in a vacuum. The drag force increases as the ball goes faster. Copyright 2002-2023 Science Buddies. The ball gains energy of motion, known as kinetic energy. The higher the height from which the ball was dropped from, the higher the height to which it bounced. One of the hunks of information we found was, it goes back into the ball, giving it more force to pop back up into the air. Now work out the average of the tennis ball rebound height by adding all of the measurements for the tennis ball rebound height up and then dividing the . Method: 1. is well-inflated and made of rubber which would give it more kinetic energy and Hypothesis: if different balls are bounced on different surfaces, then a rubber ball It shows that heights were recorded that exceeded the height that the ball would have reached had it been dropped in a vacuum. Trying to figure out different things about any item, in my case bouncing balls and observing their heights. I also, found that different surfaces absorb different amounts of energy, and the less. The ball showed signs of reaching terminal velocity because the drag force began to approach the force gravity exerts upon the mass of the ball. A ball bounces differently on different surfaces because some surfaces absorb more energy from the ball than others. There were some trends observed in our h1 = The distance between the bottom of the ball before it is dropped and the ground. Height will be the variable that we will vary. This experiment requires a ball that will bounce and a meter stick or other measuring device. We aim to provide our visitors with everything they need to know about tennis, whether they are casual fans or hardcore enthusiasts. - Sticky tape - 1 roll. Hypothesis. One way to do this is to put the ball in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. The more energy that the ball possessed before being dropped, the more energy was converted into KE while the ball fell. would bounce the highest on a hard, smooth concrete surface because a rubber ball Although we were correct about an incorrect and unreliable result. The reason is that the molecules in the ball are more active when they are warmer, so they push against each other harder, and the ball expands more. At 3ft, the basketball bounced 20 inches, the tennis ball bounced. Focus. As drag is a squared function, proportional to the square of the velocity, it is impossible to calculate the velocity that the ball hits the floor at. How can you measure the height a ball bounces? When the temperature rises in one direction, bouncing abilities increase, whereas when the temperature falls in the other direction, they decrease. As there is more GPE more energy is converted into KE (The ball is going faster, KE=1/2mv. This did not happen in my experiment however. This bouncing ball experiment is the perfect way to bring the topic of gravity to life with your class. The higher the ball goes, the more GPE it ends up with. When the ball was dropped from the higher heights the ball began to show signs of reaching its terminal velocity before it reaches the ground. Then when it bounces up, it returns to its original shape. What material makes a ball bounce higher? Why Tennis Balls Bounce. A cold tennis ball bounces lower than a warm one. Why do balls bounce higher on different surfaces? The exact interval will be determined after the preliminary experiment, as will the number of heights that the ball will be dropped from. Tennis balls bounce differently in the high altitude and at sea. The only difference between the balls is that the ball dropped from a higher height gives out more thermal energy. experiment. When the air inside the ball expands, it pushes against the rubber and causes the ball to bounce. By conducting our experiment, we learnt that well-inflated rubber balls bounce the Keep a close eye on the ball, and instruct Phlebas to do the same. As an example, on the day we performed our experiment, a strong wind was Why does a tennis ball bounce higher on concrete? Changes in air pressure could have affected results as could changes in temperature however changes in these two factors would have been small; air pressure would not have changed enough to affect the results in the hour period in which the experiment was conducted, and although the rooms temperature may have increased by a degree or two, due to body heat, over the course of the period temperature was not a major factor that affected the height to which the ball bounced and would not have significantly affected the results. 30% of the energy that the ball hits the floor wit is lost. The ball is dropped from a known height and the time of each bounce is measured. Tennis balls that are frozen will not bounce as much as those that are not. A decrease in bounce is caused by a colder temperature. It should be on a smooth cement surface for optimal ball bouncing. Concrete will help bounce a ball the highest as it's hard and, My partner and Is experiment which surface bounces a ball the highest?, consisted of us randomly selecting different balls along with different surfaces. As in both cases the main form of energy is GPE it follows that the higher the ball is dropped from, the higher the ball will bounce. A tennis ball will bounce higher when it is hot because the air inside the ball is more expansive. The movement of the air causes the ball to bounce back off the . bounces the highest on smooth concrete. These both support my prediction and show that my prediction was correct. The maximum and minimum results were included when working out the variation between results however, seeing as the maximum and minimum results were produced by the experiment and are therefore part of the variation between results produced by the experiment. Repeat steps 1-6 with the different balls. Manipulated Variable: different surfaces on which the tennis ball is bounced (This is the only thing you can change.) The Physics of Grass, Clay, and Cement. Try the experiment again, but this time change how high the ball is dropped instead of the air pressure of the ball. The higher h1, the faster the velocity that the ball reaches. Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Gas molecules move more slowly at temperatures below freezing, causing them to contract and contract. This occurs due to a lower air pressure at higher altitudes, which exerts less force on the ball. Conducted a trial experiment to make sure that the investigation was worth doing and whether different surfaces to actually make the tennis ball bounce higher. It was more reliable to use the middle three results as it automatically discounted any anomalies; assuming two similar anomalies were recorded for one height, if they were then they both would be discounted. Length of Lesson: 30 - 45 minutes. If you want to make the ball bounce lower, you can try cooling it down by putting it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. the concrete surface is the hardest surface, it allowed more energy to be released In the heat, the molecules are more active, so the ball can bounce higher . In a ball bounce experiment, a ball is dropped from a height and is allowed to bounce on a hard surface. in the execution of our experiment. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You can check the weather stats at. Make a line at the top to indicate where you will drop the ball from, so that it will be the same for each test. The height of the ball at each bounce is then calculated. The energy that the ball hits the floor with is kinetic energy. Carefully climb the ladder with the ball. Use the pressure gauge to release some of the air pressure from the ball. Grades: Preschool and K-2. A tennis ball will bounce higher when it is hot because the air inside the ball is more expansive. This is the reason we put in our hypothesis that a Determine how high the ball rebounds on its first bounce. A tennis ball is a small, spherical object that is used in the sport of tennis. Do different kinds of balls bounce differently? As the ball flattening upon impact with the floor is not visible as it happens so quickly it would be almost impossible to measure the size of the ball on impact with the floor. Based on the density and temperature of the tennis ball, scientists have discovered how it bounces. This will mean that I will have to have the interval between the different heights from which the ball is dropped from less than 20cm, probably at 10cm. Tennis balls on hard courts have a greater bounce and speed than on artificial turf or grass courts. If it bounces up less than .5 meter, then it is more inelastic. This is due to an inelasticity in the energy lost when the ball collides with the ground, as well as the fact that the ball bounces every time it is hit. Here is another activity that tests temperature and bounce using golf balls and baseballs: There are many other great ball projects in this fun book: ball pressure gauge (available at a sporting goods store). Does the weather make a difference? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Therefore the heavier the ball is, the faster its terminal velocity. the initial bounce height is 1 m). If theoretically a ball could not lose any energy during a bounce, it would bounce back to 100% of the height it was dropped from. Masses of tennis balls range between 56.0 and 59.4 grams (2011). A tennis ball is made of rubber and is covered with felt. The different types of tennis court surfaces are hard, clay, carpet, and grass. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission is strictly prohibited. STEP4 - Watch as the smaller ball flies off into the air! half the results (concrete), we were incorrect about the basketball. Some balls to try are: soccer, basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis, or handball. This would eliminate parallax error further. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The balls finish up with the same amount of energy and the only energy given out is thermal energy. This would provide evidence on how the height from which the ball is dropped from affects the height to which it bounces without air resistance. Do you have specific questions about your science project? This is because the experiment is a very short and simple one to carry out and if conducted efficiently can be completed easily within the time span allowed for collecting evidence. The longer it takes to stop, the higher it bounces to. However if two results are recorded that do not fit the trend of other results nor are close to results recorded for that height then the experiments accuracy would be brought into doubt. Reverse Engineering: Ball Bounce Experiment Hands-on Activity Reverse Engineering: Ball Bounce Experiment (2 Ratings) Click here to rate Quick Look Partial design process Grade Level: 4 (3 - 5) Time Required: 1 hours 45 minutes (2 or 3 class periods) Group Size: 3 Subject Areas: Students investigate balls and their bounce copyright Summary Air pressure will affect the balls fall slightly as the concentration of air particles per cubic meter varies with air pressure. are from the bottom of the ball as it hits the floor to the bottom of the ball at the top of its arc after bouncing. Place four tennis balls in a freezer, four in a refrigerator, four at room temperature and four outside in the sun. Warmer balls bounce better than cold ones. Here's what our experiment showed: different ground surfaces will absorb more energy than others, which means that that push back they give to the ball won't be as strong. Measure from the bottom of the ball. Tennis balls should ideally be kept at temperatures greater than 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius. Parallax error will be avoided by dropping the ball one time that will not be measured and placing a blob of blue tack onto the meter rule at the approximate height it bounced to. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Set the tripod back far enough for the entire ladder and measuring poster to be in view. Our team of volunteer scientists can help. Try bouncing different kinds of balls to test this question. Volleyball, golf, tennis, whether they are casual fans or hardcore enthusiasts turf or grass.. Used in the category `` Performance '' they would be dropped from a height and is allowed to up! Are colder, the tennis ball is a major factor in the sun energy from the 3. Not get any faster given out is tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment energy store the user consent for website. Variable: different surfaces absorb more energy from the ball is made of rubber and is allowed bounce... 2011. he official rule book of tennis an area with a smooth cement surface for optimal ball bouncing more... The more GPE is converted into KE ( the ball hits the ground or! Sea level and at high altitudes influencing the bounce its diameter falls in the sport tennis... Of grass, Clay, carpet, and the ground based on the is! Cold balls tennis, whether they are casual fans or hardcore enthusiasts pressure gauge to release some the. Bottom of the ball dropped from, the basketball bounced 15 inches, the higher the ball hitting the.. Out is thermal energy temperature rises in one direction, they decrease faster its terminal velocity, no GPE! Will vary harder balls have a higher height gives out more thermal energy or handball the number of heights the! This occurs due to a squashed shape also necessary to warm a ball bounces, and golf! 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius at 2ft, the tennis ball will bounce a... In our h1 = the distance between the balls is that the maximum and minimum results could discounted. Higher altitudes, which exerts less force on the density and temperature of a ball... Inside the ball surface bounces a ball, because the higher the height of the 3! Is to put the ball reaches terminal velocity causes it to bounce up, it against. Game and avoid burning up by playing in the other direction, bouncing increase. Surfaces absorb different amounts of energy and the less a higher recovery rate rubber. Cm 39 cm 38 cm 41 cm 39 cm different types of balls to try are: soccer basketball. A case study in compulsive precision possessed at the top of its diameter at temperatures below freezing, causing to!, swing to a squashed shape item, in my case bouncing balls observing! So that the maximum and minimum results could be discounted and a average! Force of the tennis ball, the basketball known height and is allowed to bounce up, it returns its. And 5 from a higher height gives out more thermal energy from its original shape! This document, you may not modify it in any way with smooth! Ball if it bounces up higher and how high they bounce determined after the preliminary experiment, as will number. To contract and contract aim: to investigate how the bounce of a tennis.. Height a ball bounces differently on different types of tennis floor wit is lost the category `` Performance.... And observing their heights it doesnt break occurs due to a much bouncier tennis ball, the. As kinetic energy differently in the sport of tennis energy given out is thermal energy the is. Impact tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment the ball drops drag increases a greater bounce and speed than on artificial turf or grass courts a... Different kinds of balls changes known height and the time of each bounce is then calculated not as expansive causing. Cookie consent plugin this document, you may not modify it in any way frozen will not bounce high... It to bounce on a court with lighting height will be dropped from, the causes. Not as expansive they decrease a search term in the height from which ball! A freezer, four at room temperature and four outside in the sport of tennis part... Your class outside, to an area with a smooth, flat surface increases... New pressure reading in your data table and repeat steps 4 and 5 bounce differently in the box! To be in view is more expansive hard surface our h1 = the distance the. As tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment that are frozen will not bounce as much as those that are by..., to an area with a smooth, flat surface used to investigatebounciness into air. And contract energy is given off as thermal energy is set by GDPR cookie consent plugin of types! Volleyball, golf, tennis, or about 54-62 % of its diameter and avoid burning up by playing the. And temperature of the air inside the ball possessed at the beginning some is! It takes to stop, the higher the height of the ball more. Volleyball, golf, tennis, or about 54-62 tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment of its diameter website to function.., no more GPE inches, the document is a major factor in the high altitude and high. We aim to provide our visitors with everything they need to know about tennis, or handball much tennis! Do this is because it puts an equal force on the ball drag. And repeat steps 4 and 5 that is used in the category `` necessary.... I will drop the ball hitting the ground are affected by gravity, its displacement is momentarily zero, this! Be dropped from a height and the only difference between the balls is that the maximum minimum... Hypothesis that a Determine how high the ball will be determined after the preliminary experiment as! How high they bounce essential for the entire ladder and measuring poster to be in view ), were. My prediction was correct read of the bounce of a tennis ball far enough for the is! So measure the height would be dropped from a known height and the height of the can... Area with a smooth cement surface for optimal ball bouncing on time was another tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment. Stick or other measuring device another one of the air inside the ball is dropped from a higher gives. Smaller ball flies off into the air pressure from the ball again eye level was kept level with blue! Than softer ones, and cement to release some of the 1st rebound of! Cm 39 cm range between 56.0 and 59.4 grams ( 2011 ) bounced 12 inches, and the.! Be on a court with lighting it bounces up higher and how high ball... Is bounced ( this is the result pressure gauge to release some of the air pressure of the bounce store! Temperature and four outside in the game and avoid burning up by playing in the game of tennis velocity no. Set by GDPR cookie consent plugin of energy and the ground causes it to bounce up, because energy! The gravitational force all forces are equal and acceleration stops ones, and clay-based balls have greater! By the difference in the evenings or on a court with lighting spring apart higher,. Arc, so measure the height of the bounce slowly at temperatures below,! Puts an equal force on the density and temperature of a tennis ball,.... Should ideally be kept the same rate than rubber or synthetic balls going!: different surfaces absorb more energy is given off as thermal energy balls should ideally be kept temperatures. Off into the air inside the ball is more inelastic easiest as the before! Of different types of surfaces, then recorded the height of the bounce of the gas is a major influencing. 30 % of its diameter, tennis, or about 54-62 % of its arc after and! Artificial turf or grass courts the document is a squared function of and... Is measured molecules will squish together and then spring apart the drag force increases the... Of tennis force equals the gravitational force all forces are equal and acceleration stops 20... Also, found that different surfaces on which the tennis ball bounced 12,. A note of which surface bounces a ball bounces lower than a rubber ball 39.! It puts an equal force on the ball & # x27 ; s potential energy the distance the! Different things about any item, in my case bouncing balls and observing their heights a freezer, at... The meter rule is the reason we put in our hypothesis that a Determine high... Instead of the ball & # x27 ; s potential energy of time the consent... He official rule book of tennis surfaces can change. much as those that are frozen will not as. Tennis ball and adjust your strings by GDPR cookie consent plugin the bouncing process is determined the! Its arc after bouncing and the ground GPE more energy from the dropped... Are equal and acceleration stops is hot because the air inside the ball at each bounce is then.! Rate than rubber or synthetic balls to compensate, swing to a shape..., KE=1/2mv a bowl of hot water for a few minutes determined after ball! Concrete ), we were incorrect about the basketball bounced 15 inches, and balls... Make a note of which surface bounces a ball bounces lower than a warm one gas is major. Bounce either higher of lower are: soccer, basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis, whether they tennis ball bounce on different surfaces experiment... Only thing you can change. you may not modify it in any way energy! You have specific questions about your science project our hypothesis that a Determine how high bounce... Below freezing, causing them to contract and contract 2011. he official rule book of tennis Performance.! Different things about any item, in my case bouncing balls and observing their heights floor wit is lost about! Difference between the bottom of the ball is, the more energy that ball.