Investigating the Relationship between the Half-Life Decay of the Height and the Coefficient of Restitution of Bouncing Balls Using a Microcomputer-Based Laboratory

• Published in: European journal of physics Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 717 - 725
• Main Author: Amrani, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Physics Publishing 01-07-2010
• Subjects: College Science; Computer Uses in Education; Data Analysis; Laboratory Experiments; Measurement Techniques; Physics; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Scientific Principles; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 0143-0807
• DOI: 10.1088/0143-0807/31/4/002

This pedagogical activity is aimed at students using a computer-learning environment with advanced tools for data analysis. It investigates the relationship between the coefficient of restitution and the way the heights of different bouncing balls decrease in a number of bounces with time. The time between successive ball bounces, or time-of-flight, is used to determine the initial height and the coefficient of restitution due to the ball's impact on a hard horizontal surface. The measurement techniques and the results obtained are pedagogically useful for undergraduate students during the manipulation and analysis of laboratory experiments dealing with the physics of bouncing balls. (Contains 1 table and 6 figures.)