The Factors that Affect the Height at which a Dropped Squash Ball Bounces

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The Factors that Affect the Height at which a Dropped Squash Ball Bounces

Height-The higher the squash ball is dropped the higher it will bounce

because there will be more energy converted into elastic energy to

propel the ball back up.

Type of Ball- The type of ball would greatly affect the experiment

because different types of balls have different amounts of elasticity

so some would bounce higher.

Temperature of the Ball- The temperature of the ball would affect the

experiment because the warmer the ball is the more energy and

elasticity it will have.

Landing Surface- Different types of surface will affect the bounce

height because an elastic landing surface will absorb some of the

energy, lowering the bounce height. However a rigid landing surface

will absorb very little of the energy thus giving the ball a higher

bounce height.

The variable in my experiment is going to be drop heigt because I do

not have the knowledge or the resources to do the other variables. I

predict that the higher the ball is dropped the higher it will bounce

because at a higher height there will be more stored energy.

Gravity and Bouncing

The energy involved in an object falling is called potential energy.

It can be calculated by using the formula: Potential Energy= Mass x

N/Kg (this is gravity) x Height.

As the object falls the Potential energy is transferred into Kinetic

Energy (movement). When the ball hit’s the ground the energy is

transferred into elastic energy, however some of this energy is lost

as sound and heat energy, hence the fact the bounce is shorter each

time.

On earth the gravity is 10N/Kg this is because for every kilogram 10

newtons is exerted upon it by the pull of the earth’s rotation.

Experiment Plan

I plan to set up the apparatus with a 2 meter rules to measure the

bounce height, and I intend to measure the bounce height with the eye.

This isn’t the most accurate methods of doing this experiment but I

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