Bouncing Balls Science Assignment

Activity 1: Bouncing Balls

Aim: To determine which of 4 different balls bounces the highest when
dropped from a height of 1 metre onto a brick surface.

Hypothesis: The hockey practice ball will bounce the highest because the
elastic materials that it is made from suggests that it will bounce the highest.

Method:
1. The ball was dropped three times from a height of one metre onto a brick
surface.
2. The height of the bounce was measured in centimetres with a steel tape
measure with the measurement recorded from the middle of the ball. An
average of the three measurements was calculated. (Figure 1)
3. The following variables were kept constant:
• Measuring device(tape measure)
• Ball surface was cleaned of debris between drops in case any debris
on the ball reduced the bounce height
• Experiment was carried out in the shortest time frame possible to
minimise variation due to wind and humidity

Results: Figure 1: Bounce Heights

Ball Type Drop 1 Drop 2 Drop 3 Average

(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
Leather cricket ball 30 32 31 31

Plastic cricket ball 19 25 22 22

Tennis ball 47 48 46 47

Hockey practice ball 41 41 41 41

Lauren Miletich 7 orange 1

Bouncing Balls Science Assignment

Figure 2: Bounce Height for Different Ball

Types
60

50

Bounce 40
height
(cm ) 30

20

10

0
1st Drop 2nd Drop 3rd Drop Average
Ball Types

Leather cricket ball Plastic cricket ball Tennis ball Hockey practice ball

Conclusion: The tennis ball bounced the highest followed by the hockey
practice ball, the leather cricket ball and then the plastic cricket ball (Figure
2). The hypothesis that the hockey practice ball would bounce the highest
was not proven.

Lauren Miletich 7 orange 2