Name _______________________________
Science ___
Date________
Teacher__________________
Bouncy Ball LAB
*Note: The type of bouncy ball can be changed.
You will be conducting 4 mini investigations. Be sure to maintain consistency
(the constants-same dropper, the surface dropped on, etc.) throughout each
investigation.
Materials:
2 meters sticks
Tennis ball
1. Predict bounce height for tennis ball and record in data table-only
complete the first time.
2. Hold the bottom of the tennis ball level with the 50 cm mark.
3. Drop a tennis ball from the 50 cm mark and record how high the ball
bounced.
4. Repeat steps #2-3 two more times for the tennis ball.
5. Calculate the average bounce height for the tennis ball and record in data
table.
6. Repeat steps #1-5 at each different drop height-75 cm, 100 cm, and 150
cm.
Drop Height
50 cm
50 cm
50 cm
Drop Height
75 cm
75 cm
75 cm
Tennis Ball
Prediction
Bounce Height
25
X
20
X
22
Average bounce height: _____________
Tennis Ball
Prediction
Bounce Height
30
X
33
X
35
Average bounce height: _____________
Name _______________________________
Science ___
Drop Height
100 cm
100 cm
100 cm
Drop Height
150 cm
150 cm
150 cm
Date________
Teacher__________________
Tennis Ball
Prediction
Bounce Height
50
X
55
X
52
Average bounce height: _____________
Tennis Ball
Prediction
Bounce Height
51
X
51
X
55
Average bounce height: _____________
7. Graph data to show tested drop height and actual bounce height for each
bouncy ball.
8. Were your predictions correct?
9. Were your predictions more accurate as you changed the drop height?
10. What was the manipulated variable in this investigation?
11. What was the responding variable in this investigation?
12. What are the constants (controlled variables) in this investigation?
13. Was there a control group?
14. How could increasing the number of trials improve this investigation?
Name _______________________________
Science ___
Date________
Teacher__________________
15. Write to explain the correlation between drop height and actual bounce
height of each bouncy ball. Include terms potential energy and kinetic
energy in your explanation.
16. Write to compare and contrast the different types of bouncy balls and
explain why one had the most/least bounce height. Include terms potential
energy and kinetic energy in your explanation.
17. Predict the outcomes of bounce heights if you used a different type of
bouncy ball (example: basketball, golf ball, volleyball,etc.).
18. Describe an example of gravitational potential energy in nature.
19. Would you rather have a penny dropped off onto your head from the top
of the school or from the top of the Texas Giant? Why?