The height to which a ball bounces after being dropped provides a measure of how much energy is lost in the collision with the floor or other surface. A small portion of the energy is lost to air resistance as the ball is moving, but most is lost in the collision.
a. Trying a number of different balls that you may have available, test the height of the bounce using the same height of release for all of the balls tested. Which ball loses the most energy and which the least?
b. Can you explain why many balls return to a higher height than a marble will? What characteristics of the balls tested give the best bounce?
c. For a ball that bounces several times, does the period (time between bounces) change with each bounce? Does the bouncing ball undergo simple harmonic motion?