Algebra 2
Name:______________________
BOUNCING BALL INVESTIGATION – Part I
(Replaces BB 53 – 57)
Many games depend upon the players’ response to the bounce of a ball. For this reason, manufacturers have to
make balls so that their bounce conforms to certain standards. Some standards for different balls are:
Tennis Ball:
Handball:
Lacrosse:
Squash:
rebound approximately 111 cm when dropped from 200 cm
rebound approximately 63.5” when dropped from 100” at 68 F
rebound approximately 47” when dropped from 72” on a wooden floor
rebound approximately 29.5” when dropped from 100” onto a steel plate at 70 F
1. Think about ways you could measure “bounciness.” Write down your ideas.
2. Calculate which ball bounces proportionately higher than the others. Show how you determined this answer.
You will now be collecting bouncing data from a rubber ball and analyzing it from a couple of different
perspectives.
3. To get adequate data, you will need about 6 good runs. We will define a “good” run as one with at least 2 - 3
“nice” bounces on the graph, meaning that the graph hits the x-axis. Do enough runs to have 15 data points.
Fill your data in Data Table #1.
4. What is the independent variable (x) in this relationship? What is the dependent variable (y)? Why?
5. Graph your results using a scale of 0.05 meter/unit of graph paper. Draw a line of best fit. Why should
the line of best fit go through the origin? Write the equation of the line (show your work).
6. Label the third column in Data Table #1, “rebound ratio” and for each bounce, calculate the ratio of the
rebound height to the starting height. What do you notice? Why does it make sense for this number to be
less than one? How does the rebound ratio relate to the equation for the line of best fit? Why does it make
sense for the y-intercept to be zero?
Use your line equation from problem 5 to answer the questions for BB-58 (SHOW YOUR WORK)
BB 58)
BOUNCING BALL INVESTIGATION – Part II
Answer questions BB 64, 65, 76 and 77 in the area below and on the back of this sheet. Use Data Table #2 to
assist you in answering the questions.
DATA TABLE #1:
Starting Rebound
Height
Height
GRAPH:
DATA TABLE #2:
Time
(seconds)
Height
(feet)
GRAPH: