What makes balls bounce high

Footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, and tennis balls take advantage of the springiness of trapped air. When you drop a ball, gravity pulls it toward the floor. The ball gains energy of motion, known as kinetic energy. When the ball hits the floor and stops, that energy has to go somewhere. The energy goes into deforming the ball--from its original round shape to a squashed shape.

When the ball deforms, its molecules are stretched apart in some places and squeezed together in others. As they are pushed about, the molecules in the ball collide with and rub across each other.

Exactly what happens to these molecules as they stretch and squeeze depends on what the ball is made of. Suppose you drop a ball of putty. Rather than bouncing, it hits the floor and flattens. All of the organized motion of the falling ball becomes the random motion of jiggling molecules.

The random motion of jiggling molecules is a measure of thermal energy. The putty gets warmer, but it doesn't bounce. Putty is inelastic --it doesn't return to its original shape. This flattens the ball and releases thermal energy. Instead of bouncing, the ball of play dough actually warms up! Details Activity Length 25 mins. Objectives Measure and compare the elasticity of various materials.

Materials Per Group of Students: various bouncy balls ping pong, tennis, rubber balls, etc. What To Do Divide students into groups, giving each 4 or 5 balls bouncy, play dough, marbles to test. Students should make as many observations about each ball as possible. How does it feel, can it be squeezed, can it be shaped. Students predict which balls will bounce the highest. Drop the balls from a specified height e. Measure each ball three times to ensure a good average value for each ball.

Compare findings to predictions and observations. Hypothesise what properties objects should have in order to bounce.

Explanation: When we drop a ball and it hits the floor, some of that kinetic energy changes or deforms the shape of the ball. Vocabulary: Elasticity : The tendency of an object to return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed. This form of energy has the potential to change the state of other objects around it, for example, the configuration or motion. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search.

Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Cover Letter What makes balls bounce higher? Cover Letter. Ben Davis April 16, What makes balls bounce higher? Why do golf balls bounce so high on concrete? What factors affect the bounce height of a ball? What force makes a golf ball bounce? Why does a ball bounce upon falling?

Why is rubber so bouncy? How many times does a ball bounce? Can a ball bounce infinitely? Does a ball never stop bouncing?