Drop Height versus Bounce Height

Introduction
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed into another form of energy.
The law of conservation of energy means that the total amount of energy in a system remains
constant (or conserved) so that energy is not being used up. Instead, it is being transformed
from one form of energy into another form. There are many specific kinds of energy, but the
two main forms are kinetic and potential energy. Kinetic energy (KE = 1/2mv2) is generated
when an object is in motion. On the other hand, gravitational potential energy (GPE= mass x g x
height) is an amount of stored energy an object because of its position. The potential energy is
gained by the increase in ground level. When an object falls, gravitational potential energy
gradually decreases and transforms into kinetic energy, which results in velocity of the object.

Aim
To investigate the relationship between the drop height and the bounce height of the tennis
ball.

Prediction
I predict that the higher the ball is dropped, the higher the ball will bounce.
Variables
Independent Variable: Drop height The tennis ball will be placed at a
different drop height. This is
measured by the meter ruler.

Dependent Variable: Bounce height A student will record the bounce

height by watching the tennis ball
when it bounces back to the
highest point.

Controlled Variables: Tennis Ball Using the same tennis ball

throughout the whole experiment.

Centimeter/Meter ruler Using the same ruler throughout

the whole experiment.

Environment Carrying out the experiment at the

same place.
Equipment
1. Meter ruler
2. Centimeter ruler
3. Tennis ball
4. Tape

Method
1. Stick the meter ruler onto the wall.
2. Hold the centimeter ruler at the drop height and place the tennis ball next to it.
3. Drop the tennis ball at the drop height (2.2m, 2m, 1.8m, 1.6m, 1.4m and 1.2m)
respectively.
4. Record the height where the ball bounces back to.
5. Repeat step 2-4 for three times at each drop height.
Results:

Bounce Bounce Bounce

Height (m) Height 1 Height 2 Height 1 Average
2.2 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.13
2 1.03 1.01 1.02 1.02
1.8 0.86 0.89 0.87 0.87
1.6 0.82 0.83 0.82 0.82
1.4 0.75 0.74 0.77 0.75
1.2 0.61 0.63 0.64 0.63
From the result, it shows that the higher the tennis ball is dropped, the higher the tennis ball
will bounce. The drop height and bounce height are directly proportional to each other.

Discussion:
Before the tennis ball is dropped, it is lifted up from its resting state. For that reason, the
person holding the ball is transferring his/her chemical energy to the ball. The higher the ball is,
the more gravitational potential energy the ball is given. As the ball is let go, the potential
energy is slowly transformed into kinetic energy because the tennis ball starts to fall which is a
movement with velocity.

When the ball hits the ground, again the kinetic energy is transformed into several different
kinds of energy, including sound, thermal and potential energy. The potential energy causes the
ball to bounce back to a specific height; however the bounce height will never be the same as
the drop height because some of the energy is transformed into sound and thermal from the
friction created, when the tennis ball hits the ground. This can be observed from the results
that the bounce height is smaller than the drop height - no matter how high it is placed.

Evaluation:
Throughout the experiment, we definitely made mistakes that affected the results, therefore
we have several different areas that we can improve in. Firstly, keeping the ball bouncing at the
exact height. Although we used a centimeter ruler to measured where the ball should be
dropped; there was still inaccuracies because the person dropping the ball could not see the
ruler at eye level. Therefore, the centimeter ruler wasnt always straight. To improve on this, I
could have asked another group member to stand on a chair to check if the ruler was straight or
not.

Secondly, there were two students reading the marking when the tennis ball bounced back.
This made the results inaccurate because the students had to guess the mark from what they
saw. Therefore, the result would be an average and not precise. We could improve on this, if
we were given more time and if we could have recorded the tennis ball dropping through a
video camera and then re watched the video to make sure the highest point is accurate.

In addition, the meter rulers that were stuck on the wall were accurate, because it was just
quickly stuck on. For that reason, through the experiment we accidently touched and moved
the meter rulers a few times making it move out of position.

Conclusion:
In Conclusion, my prediction was correct - the higher the ball is dropped, the higher the ball will
bounce. I found out this was correct because more potential energy is gained from the higher
drop height, there will be more kinetic energy (KE = 1/2mv2) generated, causing the tennis ball
to bounce higher.

References:
Kinetic Energy - http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/energy/u5l1c.cfm
http://www.msichicago.org/fileadmin/Education/teacher_courses/Get_Re-Energized/ME_Ball_
Drop.pdf

Resistance (W) = Potential Difference across conductor (V)

Current through conductor (A)