Ball Bouncing Lab

Bouncing Ball Research Question: Is energy conserved? Hypothesis:

Equipment: Basketball Motion Detector LabQuest Pencil Calculator Graphing Software String Ruler Scale String Procedure: 1. Choose a basketball to use 2. Weight ball 3. Find the diameter of the ball by tying a string about its circumference, measuring the length, and dividing the length by 4. Find a desk to set the motion detector on 5. Grab a ruler and do a couple runs dropping the ball at a height at least 12 cm away from motion detector 6. Once ready record initial height (height of drop), and height of motion detector to floor/ball then record the data by pressing the start bottom on the LabQuest 7. Collect a couple sets of data 8. Clean up 9. Use math skills to fill in the chart Apparatus:

Observations: Diameter (m) Mass (kg) Height Ball to Motion detector (m) 0.25 Height initial to floor (m) 0.414 Height motion detector to floor (m) 0.973 Results Velocity Velocity Intial Final (m/s) (m/s) Kinetic Energy (J) Potential Energy (J) Total Energy (J)

0.25 m

0.592 kg

1.5

0 initial 0.6667 final

-2.75 initial 0 final

-2.75 initial 0.667 final

Analysis: Variables: Controlled: the Ball, and initial height are controlled. Independent: pressure, floor
Dependant: Energy. Graphs:

Conclusion:

Since the energy total is not in a straight line this would prove that energy is not being conserved by the ball. The elastic energy on the other hand is in a straight line until the ball hits the floor then increases with each bounce. This would lead the hypothesis that the energy would be lost due to the compression of the ball to the floor. This would all explain why the ball bounces at a smaller and smaller height as time goes by.