Table of Contents
What makes a bouncy ball bounce higher?
The faster an object moves, the higher its kinetic energy. A lot of it goes back into the ball, giving it more force to pop back up into the air—so the higher the potential energy, the higher the kinetic energy, and the higher the kinetic energy, the higher the bounce!
What does air pressure do to a ball?
The molecules push and press on those surfaces, exerting pressure on them. Air pressure allows your basketball to keep its round shape and remain hard and bouncy. If air escapes from the ball, the pressure inside the ball changes. Air pressure is measured using psi, or pounds per square inch.
Does the amount of air in a basketball affect the shot?
The air pressure in a basketball can’t affect how you play and how good your shot is. Ones shot can defer at anytime and it really doesn’t depend on the air pressure in the ball.
What factors affect how high a ball can bounce?
The combination of the material properties of a ball (surface textures, actual materials, amount of air, hardness/ softness, and so on) affects the height of its bounce.
What surface makes a ball bounce higher?
As the ball is released, gravity pulls the ball downwards and transforms that potential energy into kinetic energy, the energy of motion. The harder the court surface is the more energy a dropped ball retains and the higher it rebounds. A basketball bounces pretty well on hardwood, but even better on concrete.
Does it matter how much air is in your basketball?
To figure out the amount of air in a basketball, you have to measure the air pressure. NBA rules dictate that basketballs should be inflated to between 7.5 and 8.5 pounds per square inch. If the basketball is inflated below this level, it won’t bounce correctly.
How much air is in a basketball?
An NBA regulation ball is inflated to between 7.5 and 8.5 psi. By regulating a basketball’s air pressure, the NBA can ensure fair playing conditions. As this activity illustrated, the ball’s internal air pressure determines how it bounces.
Will a ball bounce higher if it is dropped from a greater height?
Thus a typical ball bounces to 60% of its original height because it stores and returns 60% of the energy it had before the bounce. When you drop a ball from a greater height, it has more kinetic energy just before it hits the floor and stores more energy during the bounce—it dents farther as it comes to a stop.