The height to which a ball bounces after being dropped providesa measure of how much energy is lost in the collision with thefloor or other surface. A small portion of energy is lost to airresistance as the ball is moving, but most is lost in thecollision.
1. Trying a number of different balls that you that you may haveavailable, test the height of the bounce using the same height orrelease for all of the balls tested. Which ball loses the mostenergy and which is the least?
2. Can you explain why many balls return to a higher height thana marble will? What characteristics of the balls tested give thebest bounce?
3. For a ball that bounces several times, does the period (timebetween bounces) change with each bounce? (Again, recording a videowould help tremendously. Make sure your camera is held still and ameter stick or some other object of known height is within theframe, but does not obstruct the motion)
4. Can you predict how the bounce height would change if yourrelease height is doubled? Halved?
5. Try it, observe, measure and record your results. 6. Does thebouncing ball undergo simple harmonic motion? Why or why not?
