Energy of A Bouncing Ball Names Katie Whitehouse

Gracy Hacking
Introductory Conceptual Physics

In terms of energy, when a ball is dropped it has gravitational potential energy, GPE to
start. As it falls, this is converted into kinetic energy, KE because it speeds up. As it
rises after bouncing it slows down, losing kinetic energy, and gaining gravitational
potential energy.

If there is no work done by frictional forces, the total energy will remain constant. But
if the ball hits the floor, it should lose some of its energy to the floor. This will cause it
to not reach the same height. In this experiment, we will see if this works out for a ball
that is bounced.

In this experiment, we will study these energy changes using a Motion Detector.

OBJECTIVES
Measure the change in the kinetic and potential energies as a ball bounces.
See how the total energy of the ball changes during each bounce.

PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS BE SURE TO ANSWER THESE FIRST!

For each question, consider the free-fall portion of the motion of the ball after it has bounced off the ground. Assume that
there is very little air resistance.

1. What form or forms of energy does the ball have while momentarily at rest at the top of a bounce?

Potential energy

2. What form or forms of energy does the ball have while in motion near the bottom of the path before or after the
bounce?

Kinetic energy

3. If there are no frictional forces acting on the ball while it falls (in freefall), how is the change in the balls potential
energy related to the change in kinetic energy?

Its added to each other.

 4. Predict what the graph of potential energy and kinetic energy

might look like for a bouncing ball.

PROCEDURE:

THE LOGGER PRO FILE YOU NEED IS STORED IN CLASSROOM!!!

You need to collect data for a ball bouncing under a motion detector. Try to get at least two full bounces in a straight (up
and down) line below the detector.

Once you are satisfied with your graph, save your data. You can then use Logger Pro to collect the following data.
Click on the Examine button, , and move the mouse across the position or velocity graphs of the motion of the
ball to collect the data.

To see the graphs of Energies, click on the second page of the Logger Pro file.

DATA TABLE
Mass of the ball (kg) 0.276 TYPE this # into Logger Pro
for MASS!!

Position Time Distance Velocity PE KE TE

(s) (m) (m/s) (J) (J) (J)

At initial release .24 1.1 .03 2.6 .005 2.605

Before bounce 1 .18 1.070 0.0038 1.9 .00008 1.90008

After bounce 1 .74 .0000 .2824 .0 0 0

Top of bounce 1 1.12 .697 .0215 5.1 .01 5.11

Before bounce 2 1.42 .280 2.7652 0 7.59 7.59

After bounce 2 1.52 .014 1.0620 .21 .01 .218

Top of bounce 2 1.84 .491 .0514 2.47 0.007 2.477

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:
1. Describe the shape of your distance graph. What does it look like where it hits the floor and where it is in the air.

When in the air it looks like a downward slope. When in the air it looks like an upward slope.

2. Describe what the velocity graph looks like. Are your numbers in the positives or negatives or both? What does this
tell you about the motion of the ball?

The numbers are both positive and negative. It has a varied speed.

3. Display the graph which shows PE, KE, and TE together. Paste a copy of this graph below.
4. Inspect your kinetic energy vs. time graph for the bouncing ball. What type of shape does it have? Where in the balls
bounce is the KE the greatest?

The greatest is at the first bounce when you drop the ball. It mostly has an upward slope throughout the graph.

5. Inspect your potential energy vs. time graph for the bouncing ball. What type of shape does it have? Where in the
balls bounce is the PE the greatest?

It has an upward slope like a roller coaster track. The greatest is the first bounce when you release the ball.
6. As the PE of the balls bounce gets higher, what happens to the KE?

The KE gets smaller.

7. How does the potential energy at the top of a bounce relate to the kinetic energy of the ball immediately after the same
bounce? What should this relationship be?

They should be the same.

8. What do you conclude from this graph about the total energy of the ball as it moved up and down in freefall?

It slowed down as it got closer to the end.

9. What do you conclude from this graph about the total energy of the ball as it moved through its entire motion (each
bounce included)? If the conservation of energy states energy cannot be created nor destroyed, does your
experiment go against this? Explain why or why not.

No, it has a lot of energy as it started and at the end it slowed down.