Investigating the Speed at Which a Ball Bounces Off a Surface

2619 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Research question about bouncing ball

Investigating the Speed at Which a Ball Bounces Off a Surface

Plan

Introduction

I intend on investigating the speed at which a ball rebounds of a

given surface. I will try and find a relationship between the speed it

hits the surface and the speed it comes off the surface.

Background Information

======================

The principle of conservation of energy states "Energy cannot be

created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another."1 This

is the reason that the ball does not rebound off the block at the same

speed that it hits it at. As some of the energy has been converted

into a different form when it hits the block.

Prediction

==========

[IMAGE]I predict that as the velocity of the ball approaching the

surface increases then the speed at which it rebounds off it also

increases proportionally. So if I double the speed of Va (velocity of

approach) then the speed at which it rebounds is also doubled.

e.g. Va Vr. This means that the graph of my results should produce a

straight-line graph as they are proportional (as shown in the

diagram). This also means that the wooden block takes the same

proportion of energy every time the ball hits the block

The reason why I think that the rebound speed will be slower than the

approaching speed is that some of the kinetic energy from the moving

ball is converted to the form of heat and sound when it hits the

block. The kinetic energy of the ball has not been destroyed only

changed its form, as quoted in my background information.

If an object of mass 'm' moves at speed 'v'. Then we can say it has a

kinetic energy of ½ x m x v²

This means that the formula for the kinetic energy of the approaching

ball is

K = ½ x m x Va² and so the formula for the rebounding ball must be K =

½ x m x Vr²

As I predict that they are both proportional to each other then I can

Show More
Related

  • Good John Maloney

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem is narrated in a limited third person perspective of a player that gains possession of the basketball after a rebound. The poet focuses the narrative on the actions directly following him gaining possession of the basketball. The determination the poet feels to keep the ball in his team’s possession and make a shot is felt strongly through the poem’s lines 3-7:

    Read More

  • The Physics of Baseball

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people might think that swinging the bat straight through the ball would be enough to hit the ball a decent distance off the bat. There's many more mechanics involved in the swinging process. Muscle has only a small part to play in the swinging a bat for power. There are two types of mechanics involved while swinging a bat, Linear and Rotational. Rotational mechanics are the dominant source of power in the swing. Out of the rotational mechanics come the two forces that help generate the speed and power of the swing, torque and the other comes from the energy of rotation. Speed from the energy of rotation comes from the path that your hands follow as you swing the bat. The speed generated by the circular rotation from your hands is like a ball at the end of a string, as long as your hands are moving in a circle then the ball continues to accelerate in a circle. So the bat will also move in at an increasing speed as long as your hands are following a circular path as you swing. Any foward movement of the hands or body in a straight line won't add to the overall bat speed.

    Read More

  • Physics of Baseball

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you strike a bat against a ball it sends vibrations, much like the vibrations acting on airplanes or bridges, which travel in waves through the bat. This motion is important to understand because every vibration the bat experiences takes energy away from the ball's speed as it leaves the bat.

    Read More

  • Bouncing Ball Investigation

    2123 Words  | 5 Pages

    Bouncing Ball Investigation This is an experiment to investigate bouncing balls and how they behave in different situations. Few independent variables will be changed, so the investigation is easy to manage, and the data is easier to process. The first independent variable that will be tested.

    Read More

  • Physics of Baseball

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baseball is a fascinating sport that is exceptionally fun to play. This assignment is all about understanding the physics of a few key aspects of this sport. One might ask what physics could have to do with baseball? Like most sports baseball involves physical motion. Baseball encompasses all three planes of motion through throwing, hitting, and fielding. All of the classical laws of mechanics can be applied to understand the physics of this game.

    Read More

  • Finding Acceleration Due to Gravity Using Ball Drop Method

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    - The plumb bob was used to locate the centre of the trip plate , to

    Read More

  • Bouncing Ball Experiment

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    height of the ping-pong ball in a table of results. I will also make a

    Read More

  • Bouncing Ball Investigation

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bouncing Ball Investigation Aims: In This experiment, I'm going to discover how the surface affects the height that a of a tennis ball Introduction: All green plants are able to use light as a source of energy. Chlorophyll (green coloured pigment in leaves) absorbs light and changes it into chemical energy, which is used to power all the chemical reactions that go on in a plant cell. This is called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of producing glucose from sunlight, which takes place in the leaves.

    Read More

  • Science Inquiry

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this inquiry the relationship between force and mass was studied. This inquiry presents a question: when mass is increased is the force required to move it at a constant velocity increased, and how large will the increase be? It is obvious that more massive objects takes more force to move but the increase will be either linear or exponential. To hypothesize this point drawing from empirical data is necessary. When pulling an object on the ground it is discovered that to drag a four-kilogram object is not four times harder than dragging a two-kilogram object. I hypothesize that increasing the mass will increase the force needed to move the mass at a constant rate, these increases will have a liner relationship.

    Read More

  • The Force to Dribble a Basketball

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    If you think about it, it’s almost impossible to measure the force that it takes to dribble a basketball, unless you have the right tools. Let’s just think about the basic physics that you should know. In order to dribble a basketball you need to apply enough force for the ball to go from your hand to the floor and back up to your hand. When the ball is in your hand it is holding potential energy. Potential energy is the energy that is about to be transferred into kinetic energy, which is when the energy is in use. The ball is in kinetic energy after it leaves your hand and starts to fall. So the force of gravity has to be less than the force of the bounce to keep the dribbling going.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A Basketball Jump Shot

    2292 Words  | 5 Pages

    A basketball Jump shot also known as a jumper is one of the most important shots in the game. Its purpose is for the player to jump, usually straight up and while in the mid-air attempt to score while arcing the ball in the basket. Jumps shots are known for winning games, especially crucial last second shots such as mine but it’s a skill that a player should be familiar and have knowledge of. Although it seems simple and easy its actually is a very detailed and mechanical aspect to the game which is why I choose to analyze the biomechanics of a basketball jump shot.

    Read More

  • Components of Physical Fitness Which are Important for a Badminton

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    net to retrieve a net shot from the back of the court) but may also

    Read More

  • The Physics of Basketball

    1941 Words  | 4 Pages

    The most important part of the game of basketball is shooting the basketball, after all the object of the game is to put the basketball through the basket. A shot is taken by a player pushing on the ball and launching it toward the basket and upon the ball hitting the rim or backboard physics refers to this action as a contact force. Using this concept of contact force a shot can be calculated exactly. From a player’s height, the mass of the ball and a given position on the court which would include the distance from the basket it is possible to calculate the exact angle and force the shooter must apply to make a basket every time he or she shoots the ball. Of course if it were this easy basketball would not be as fun to watch or play. The problem with hitting a shot every time with the calculated angle and force is that the ball would have to travel toward the basket with the exact angle and force calculated for that particular shot. What makes this difficult is that the muscles in our body would have to be controlled flawlessly to push the ball with the exact amount of force and to give the ball the exact angle that is needed every time a shot is taken...

    Read More

  • Speedball: Techniques Used In Sports

    221 Words  | 1 Pages

    Speedball is played by two teams. It can be played with fewer members on each team. A lot of Techniques are used in speedball, including kicking and dribbling the ball with the feet as in soccer.The object of the game is for the team in possession of the ball to advance the ball down the field toward the opponent's goal line and attempt to score.  The opponents of the team in possession of the ball try to intercept and obtain possession of the ball in order to move it toward the goal line in an attempt to score. Some rules of the game are: It consists of four quarters much like a basketball game.  Each quarter can be up to 12 minutes long.Kickoff must travel the length of the ball and may be lifted by the foot to a teammate.  It may not be

    Read More

  • gravity

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    state of rest or motion of an object. In the absence of outside forces, the momentum of a

    Read More

More about Investigating the Speed at Which a Ball Bounces Off a Surface

Open Document