Ball Bounce Efficiency Essay

Research question – which of the 4 tested balls will be the most energy efficient when bounced on the same surface?

Aim: To investigate the bounce efficiency of a ball bouncing on the same surface.

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Hypothesis

• If different types of balls were dropped on the same surface, then the ball designed for greater bounce efficiency will result with increased height because of its structure and aspects to help get height. The 4 balls being tested in our science experiment are, the hockey ball, a stress ball, a handball and a tennis ball. The hockey ball will have the least amount of efficiency and bounce the lowest. The stress ball will bounce the 3rd amount of energy efficiency, the tennis ball with have the 2nd greatest bounce efficiency, and

At the drop height, the tennis ball and handball has gravitational energy which is then transformed into kinetic energy as it falls to the ground. As the ball has impact with the ground this energy is transformed into elastic potential energy and when the ball squashes, it’s then transformed back to kinetic energy again, sending the tennis ball and handball back into the air. These energy transfers and transformations are shown in figure1. “As the ball is dropped and gravity forces it downward, the velocity of the ball increases because of the accelerating effects of gravity. The ball falls through the air, converting stored energy to the energy of motion, and impacts the floor, bouncing higher.” – Mary Osborne.

The hockey ball was predicted the have the least amount of energy efficiency because of its size and weight and is not designed to bounce on a hockey field, meaning the ball will not bounce high.

The stress ball is like the hockey ball and doesn’t have great bounce efficiency as it is designed for other reasons then bouncing, and has low density. When in the air, the gravitational energy pulling it downwards is not strong and as it turns into kinetic energy among impact, the stress ball has only little

The handball bounced the highest and had the most energy efficiency, the tennis ball had the 2nd most energy efficiency and height, the stress ball had the 3rd most energy efficiency and height and the hockey ball came in last with the least energy efficiency and height. These results provided significance that the design of each ball is made for reasons, some other than bouncing. For example, the handball is made for hitting it with your hand and bouncing, the tennis ball is made to be hit with force by a racquet, the stress ball is made to be squeezed and he hockey ball is made to be hit with a hockey stick into a goal, not to bounce. The concludes this experiment showing that the design of a ball determines whether it will have a high bounce efficiency or a low bounce