Bouncing Ball Investigation

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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.

The tennis ball is the constant variable factor (the variable that is

kept the same, to make the investigation valid). The ball will dropped

from increasing heights (cm-25, 50, 75,100,125,150,175,200) and the

bounce of the ball will be measured. A sample size of 3 results will

be taken from each height the ball is dropped. The same investigation

will then be repeated, but one of the independent variables will be

changed. This will be the surface material the ball is dropped on. To

make the test fair the same people will carry out the same task each

time the ball is dropped e.g. the same person drops the ball. The

results from the two investigations will then be compared.

Risk assessment

There are not many risks from dropping a ball but safety must be

considered. Theball should not be thrown, and the person dropping the

ball should not stand on chairs or tables.

Independent variables

There are many independent variables (which can also be called the

manipulated variable- the variable that is varied in the

investigation), but I will only vary two of them: the height the ball

is dropped,

The surface material the ball is dropped on will also be changed.

Other variables that could be changed are:

-mass of ball

-air resistance (this may occur when the ball is dropped from greater

heights)

-ball material

-gradient of surface

-size of ball

-kind of ball

-ball density

Dependent variables

The dependent or responding variable is the variable that occurs due

to factors that are changed in the independent or manipulated

variables. If the independent variable is changed, this would affect

the dependent variable.

The dependent variables rely on the independent variables:

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