Tennis Ball Science Experiments on Losing Bounce

Surface Factors

• Different surfaces will affect how well a tennis ball bounces. To test this hypothesis, set up an experiment in which you drop a tennis ball from a pre-determined height onto different types of surfaces, such as concrete, a tennis court, a track, packed dirt, carpet, a wood floor or a flat, grassy yard, to name a few potential examples. Hold up a yardstick or measuring tape and work with a partner who can read and record the varying heights the tennis ball reaches with each bounce on the different surfaces.

Temperature Differentials

• The temperature of the air in the hollow inside of the tennis ball, as well as the temperature of the rubber that makes up the majority of the tennis ball, plays a role in how high and how long a tennis ball bounces. Place one tennis ball in the freezer for two hours. Remove the ball, measure its temperature with a thermometer and drop it from a pre-determined height while holding a measuring tape. Have a partner read and record the height and how quickly the ball loses bounce. Hold a stopwatch to time the ball's bouncing from start to finish.

  Next, place the tennis ball in the hot sun for two hours. Measure the temperature of the ball and drop it from a pre-determined height. Have your partner measure how high the ball bounces with each bounce. Time how long it takes the ball to stop bouncing.

Material Integrity

• A tennis ball that has been used multiple times might lose its bounce more quickly in comparison to a new tennis ball. Test this hypothesis by collecting tennis balls that have been used multiple times by tennis players. Find out how many times the ball has been used, if you can. Drop the balls from pre-determined heights and time how long they remain bouncing. Record the height and time findings. Repeat this with three new tennis balls. Compare the results, dividing the height the ball reaches with its bounce by the distance it is dropped from. Your answer will give you the rebound rating of each ball.

Speed and Distance

• The speed of an object hurtling through the air gives you an idea of its kinetic energy. Kinetic energy measures the energy of an object in motion. Use a tennis racket to hit a tennis ball with varying degrees of force, and have a partner mark ready to make a chalk mark where the ball lands with each bounce. Measure the entire distance that the ball bounced for each hard and soft hit with the racket.