can you touch a ball bouncing on the basket

Why do you think a deflated ball does not bounce well? Why would a well-used tennis ball not bounce as well? Other balls, such as tennis balls or baseballs, wear out with use. A bicycle pump with a special piece to inflate balls can help you do the job. You can add air to some balls like basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, etcetera. Note: If your ball does not bounce well, it might be deflated or old.Gather your test balls in the open area where you will perform the activity.Yard stick that measures meters (optional).A hard surface to bounce balls, preferably outdoors, surrounded by a large open area where a ball can fly without colliding with people or objects.A ping-pong ball, smaller and lighter than both other balls (optional).A tennis ball or other bouncing ball that is smaller and lighter than the bigger ball.A basketball or other large bouncing ball.

Can we let one ball fly off with the energy of the other-and if so, how? Do this activity to find out! What if we could give the kinetic energy of the heavy ball to the lighter ball? When two balls collide, they exchange energy. It will not necessarily rebound higher, as it also needs more kinetic energy to reach a specific height again. Both balls will fall at a similar speed, but because kinetic energy is proportional to the mass of the object, the heavy ball reaches Earth with more energy. It is interesting to compare a heavy and a light ball as they fall from the same height. Our planet, being so massive, does not move as a result of the collision.

As a consequence, the ball shoots up with less energy than it had when it reached Earth. During the collision, some of the ball's energy is converted into heat. The air in the ball acts like a spring-it gets compressed and expands again. The ball slows down, deforms temporarily and shoots back up.

When it reaches Earth, it collides head-on with an incredibly massive object that is, from your perspective, at rest. When a bouncing ball falls, it initially gains speed or kinetic energy-the energy of motion. Let's see if physics can explain what happens. Whether it is a basketball bouncing on the ground, a tennis ball bouncing off a racket or pool balls bouncing off one another, the bounce can be seen as a collision. Ready to be surprised? Try it out!īalls used in sports come in all sizes, masses and materials. Would having two balls of different masses make a game very difficult? In this activity you will explore what might happen if you were to add a tennis ball to a basketball game or a tiny ping-pong ball to a tennis game or any other combination. How many ball sports can you name? How many of those have several balls at once in the game? Almost none, right? Games that do use several balls at a time most likely use balls of the same mass, volume and material.

Can you touch a ball bouncing on the basket