Ball Drop Lab
I. Prelab
A. Purpose: To design and implement an
experiment that examines the drop height
versus the bounce height of an object.
B. Problem: Is the height from which a ball
is dropped related to the height it bounces
to.
Ball Drop Lab
C. Hypothesis: If a ball is dropped from a
continually greater height, then it will bounce
higher.
D. Materials: Various types of balls, meter sticks,
bouncing surface
(Identify your variable and controls before you start
the procedure)
E. Procedure:
1. Gather or find the required materials: 3
different types of balls, a meterstick and a
bouncing surface.
Ball Drop Lab
(procedure continued)
2. Use one of the balls (ball “A”), measuring from
the bottom of the ball, drop it from a height of
10 cm off the bouncing surface.
3. Measure the distance the ball bounces to, using
the bottom of the ball as a reference. ( This will
be a best guess based on the quickness of the
event).
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 two more times for ball “A”
5. Average the results for 10 cm and record.
Ball Drop Lab
(procedure continued)
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the distances 20 cm
through 100 cm for ball “A”.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for ball “B”.
8. Repeat steps 2-6 for ball “C”.
F. Data
Drop height
Bou nce
A
10 cm
20cm
30 cm
40 cm
100cm
Trial 1
B
C
A
Trial 2
B
Height
C
A
Trial 3
B
C
A
Average
B
C