Introduction

This lab is an investigation of the effect of drop height on the bounce of a ball. In
this experiment 5 basket balls of the same size, make and inflated to the same
pressure are dropped from 8 different heights heights. The bounce height
calculated based on the height of the first bounce of the ball. The number of
bounces before the ball rests are also counted to observe the relationship. The
bounce efficiency is then calculated based on the gravitational potential energy.

Research Question
How does the bounce of a ball depend upon the height from which it is dropped?.
Independent variable
The height from which the ball is dropped
Dependent variable
The height of the bounce and the number of bounces before the ball rests
Controlled Variables
Identical balls
The method of release from height
The bouncing surface
The inflation pressure
The weather conditions in the room
Mass of the ball
Hypothesis
If the drop height increases, the bounce height and the number of bounces will
increase, as the increase in height will increase the gravitational potential energy
which gets converted into kinetic energy on rebound.
List of Apparatus used
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identical basket balls 3 nos.

Level adjustable table to change the drop height
Cardboard box with a double-flapped trap door
Metre scale 2 nos.
A person to count the number of bounces of the ball, one to record the
height of the first bounce
6. A smooth bouncing surface
7. Digital pressure gauge/inflator to inflate all the balls to the same pressure.

Diagram

Method
Measuring the variables
A large cardboard box with a double flapped trapdoor like opening is placed on
the edge of the table. It is glued to the table using plastic tape to make sure that
it does not move. The basket ball is kept inside the box. The ball was allowed to
fall by releasing the trapdoor flaps. This method was adopted to eliminate human
force to push the ball and to standardise the drop height. The experiment is
conducted in a room kept at constant temperature and no inlet for breeze/wind.
The ball was allowed to drop from the box on a smooth, flat concrete floor. A
meter scale was used to measure the bounce height. The meter scale was fixed
to the edge of the table. As the ball fell out of the box and bounced, the height of
the bounce was measured and recorded using the metre scale. The number of
bounces were also counted and recorded. 5 identical balls are dropped from 8
different heights. The person who measured the height of the bounce squatted
on the floor to avoid parallax error.
Controlling the controlled variables.
The room was kept under air conditioner to ensure that the temperature was
standardised. All windows and doors were closed to keep out any draft. Identical
basketballs were used to ensure uniformity in quality. The balls were all inflated
to 7.5 pounds pressure using an inflator with a digital indicator and pressure
gauge. The mass of all the balls is maintained at 0.566 kgs.

All 5 balls were dropped from heights 25cms, 50cms,

75cms,100cms,125cms, 150cms,175cms, 200cms. The experiment was
therefore repeated 5 times for 8 different heights. The readings were then
averaged to ensure accuracy.

Results
Raw Data Table
The table 1 below shows the data for 8 different drop heights of each of the 5
balls. Measurements were taken from the bottom of the ball to the floor. The
uncertainty for a metre scale is the least count /2, which is 1mm/2 =0.05cm.
The average bounce height is the sum of the measure of the height of the first
bounce of all 5 balls divided by 5
e.g. h1 +h2+h3=h4+h5+h6+h7+h8
5

25

50

Drop Height hi measured (centimetres) 0.05m

75
100
125
150
175
200

Ball 1
Ball 2
Ball 3
Ball 4
Ball 5
Avera
ge
bounc
e
height
ho
(metre
s)
0.05
cm
Table 2 shows the average bounce height of the ball for each drop height
Drop
height hi in
cm
0.05cm
Average
bounce
height ho
in cm
0.05cm

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

Table 3 shows the bounces of each of the 5 balls for various drop heights.
25
Ball 1
Ball 2

50

Drop height (centimetres)0.05cm

75
100
125
150
175

200

Ball 3
Ball 4
Ball 5
Avera
ge
bounc
es

Drop
height hi in
cm
0.05cm
Average
bounces

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

50

Drop height (centimetres)0.05cm

75
100
125
150
175

200

Data processing
25
Bounc
e
height
in cms
0.05
cm
Numb
er of
bounc
es

The bounce efficiency

= Gravitational Potential Energy output Eo X100

Gravitaional potential Energy input E i

Gravitational potential Energy (E) = mgh where m is the mass of the ball, g is the
gravitational acceleration and h is the height of the body.
Where Ei = mghi is the potential energy before the ball drops down and E o = mgho
is the potential energy when the ball is on rebound.

25
Gravitatio
nal
Potential
Energy Ei

50

Ball Drop height in cms 0.05cms

75
100
125
150
175

200

in Joules
Rebound
Gravitatio
nal
Potential
Energy Eo
in Joules
Bounce
Efficiency

Graphs
Graph 1:
Shows the bounce height for various drop heights. It is seen that with increase in
drop height, the bounce height is also higher.

Drop height vs bounce height

250
200
150

Drop height in cms 0.05cm 100

50
0

Average bounce height ho in cm 0.05cm

Average bounce height ho in cm 0.05cm

Graph 2
Shows the relationship between the drop height and the bounces of the ball. As
seen in the graph, the number of bounces increases with higher drop heights.

drop height vs bounces

250
200
150

Drop height in cms 0.05cm 100

50
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

bounces
Average bounces

Graph 3
Shows the bounce efficiency of the balls with respect to drop height.

Bounce Efficiency vs. drop height

12
10
8

bounce efficiency

6
4
2
0

Conclusion
All three graphs show that drop height of a ball certainly affects the bounce of
the ball. While the bounce height does increase with the drop height, it is not a
significant differene. Intitially, although the the number of bounces increased

with drop height, the bounces decrease between 1.5 metres and 2 metres. The
bounce efficiency remains fairly consistent through the drop heights. Which is
against our hypothesis that the bounce height, bounces and therefore the
bounce efficiency will increase with increase in drop heights.

Evaluation
The findings of the investigation were not consistent with the hypothesis. The
assumption was that with increase in drop height, the bounce height will increase
and so will the number of bounces and the bounce efficiency. However, the
graphs and the physical observation indicate otherwise. While there is a marginal
increase in the bounce height during the initial increments, the bounce height
and the number of bounces actually decreased with the last few incremental
drop heights. This could have been because the ball has to face increased air
friction resistance when falling from higher levels.
There were limitations to the experiment.