How Does Temperature affect the Ability to Bounce of a Ping-Pong ball? Physics Design Practical Research Question How is the bounce-height of a ping pong ball affected by it’s temperature? This research questions aims to find out how the temperature of a ping pong ball affects the vertical height bounce, after being dropped from 1 metre. I will be measuring the bounce height using a video camera to find the heightest point. I will use the top of the ball for ease of results. Hypothesis: I believe that as the temperature of the ping pong ball increases, the bounce height will increase.
This may be due to the expansion of air inside the ball causing higher pressure. Variables: Independant Temperature of the ping pong ball. Measured using a contact-less, infrared thermometer. Constants Starting height of the ping-pong ball. This is kept constant at 1m at all times. Same ping pong ball for each drop. Same thermometer – contact-less thermometer may be differently calibrated, therefore systematic error reduced by using same device. Dependant The height after one bounce. This is measured using a video camera, set up as shown in fig. 1. Method Apparatus •Ping pong ball Meter ruler, with each 5cm and 10cm marked with a coloured line. •Retort stand •Boss Clamp •Video camera, operating at 30fps, with USB link to laptop •Laptop with video editing software, enabling frame-by-frame playback •Beakers, small & large •Bunsen Burner •Ice (crushed) •Contact-less thermometer Photo of set up: Measuring variables I will change the dependent variable using crushed ice cubes to lower the temperature, and a water bath to raise the temperature of the surface of the ping pong ball. Using the contactless thermometer will ensure I get an accurate reading.
I will measure the height of the bounce using the video camera connected to the laptop. I will video the bounce, and then afterwards, using video editing software, find the frame with the highest point. I specified a high speed video camera to ensure there is a lower error in my result. Controlling the controlled variables I ensured that my control variables remained constant by using the top of the metre ruler to drop the ping pong ball. The ball was dropped close to the ruler, but not so that it touched as it fell. I also kept the same thermometer, calibrating it only once before the experiment.
I will repeat the experiment with temperatures of the ping pong ball at: 0°C 50°C 75°C 100°C Each height of bounce will be repeated 4 times for accuracy. An average will be taken of the recorded heights. This is an example of the way in which heights will be read off of the ruler. Using the red and blue lines to show the multiples of 10, I can give an accurate figure for the height of the bounce. Results No. TempHeight cm 1Water Bath (0C)72. 0 2Water Bath (0C)71. 9 3Water Bath (0C)72. 1 4Water Bath (0C)72. 2 AVERAGE72. 1 No. TempHeight cm 1room temperature70. 3 2room temperature70. 7 3room temperature70. 4 4Room temperature70. AVERAGE70. 6 Room temperature is equal to 26C No. TempHeight cm 1Water Bath (50C)69. 6 2Water Bath (50C)70. 8 3Water Bath (50C)71. 1 4Water Bath (50C)70. 1 AVERAGE70. 4 No. TempHeight cm 1Water Bath (73C)67. 4 2Water Bath (73C)67. 8 3Water Bath (73C)66. 8 4Water Bath (73C)67. 2 AVERAGE67. 3 No. TempHeight cm 1Water Bath (85C)63 2Water Bath (85C)64. 2 3Water Bath (85C)61. 5 4Water Bath (85C)61. 2 AVERAGE62. 5 No. TempHeight cm 1100C Dip64. 5 2100C Dip58. 4 3100C Dip53. 4 4100C Dip53. 4 AVERAGE57. 4 physics 75cm to centre of lense Distance from camera to ruler: 32cm 75cm to centre of lense 60. 8 – new height of camera
