STEM+Fair+Abstract+DelgNa

Bouncing Basketballs

Does surface type and air pressure affect the way a basketball bounces? Bouncing a basketball takes a lot of energy. There are two types of energy involved, kinetic and potential. Gravity plays a part as well. The purpose of the project is to learn and understand why a basketball does not bounce back to the starting point when not pushed. What causes it? The first trial was done on the tile floor. The result showed that when dropping the basketball from an altitude of one hundred centimeters, it bounced to an altitude of sixty centimeters. It lost a total of forty centimeters. Additional surface trials were done using carpeting. The results were different. A basketball bounces because gravity acts upon the ball creating motion or kinetic energy inside it. When the ball hits the ground, the kinetic energy is dispersed to the rubber surface of the ball, making it compress, and the pressurized air forces the ball back to its round shape. Learning about the energy involved in bouncing a basketball was very interesting. The amount of air inside the basketball also plays an important part on how high the basketball can bounce. More air inside the basketball, yields a higher bounce.