Demonstrations

Coefficient of Restitution

Image #2

Code Number :	1R40.10
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: U of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved...
Condition :	Good
Principle :	Coefficient of Restitution
Area of Study :	Mechanics
Equipment :	Telescope Mirror Blank, 1/4 inch diameter ball bearings, Steel plate, assorted balls and marbles, clay balls, happy - sad ball set.
Procedure :	The curve of the telescope mirror blank will keep the ball from bouncing off the blank if the ball bounces somewhere near the center on the first bounce. Use ball bearing no larger than 1/4 inch diameter or you risk damaging the glass mirror blank. Coefficients as high as 90 percent or better may be obtained with this system. Bounce the various balls on the steel plate and observe the coefficient of restitution. The ball with the best coefficient should be the steel ball. The happy - sad ball set has one ball that is much like a super ball and one ball that will absorb all of the energy and therefore will not bounce. The bouncing ball is made from polyneoprene and the non-bouncing ball is made from polynorbornene.

References

Eric Gettrust, "The Energetics of Bouncing (Revisited): A Quantitative Demonstration of Energy Conservation During Bouncing", TPT, Vol. 44, # 7, Oct. 2006, p. 428.

K.C. Maynes, M.G. Compton, and Blane Baker, "Coefficient of Restitution Measurements for Sport Balls: An Investigative Approach", TPT, Vol. 43, # 6, p. 352, (Sept. 2005).

Warren A. Turner and Glenn W. Ellis, "The Energetics of a Bouncing Ball", TPT, Vol. 37, # 8, Nov. 1999, p. 496.

Russell Akridge, "Period and Amplitude", TPT, Vol. 36, # 8, Nov. 1998, p. 507.

R. Jones, "Follow the Bouncing Ball", TPT, Vol. 31, # 5, May 1993, p. 313.

Herbert Maloney, "Experiments on Free Fall and Rebound", TPT, Vol. 28, # 2, Feb. 1990, p. 100.

Judith Bransky, "A Measurement Using the Piezoelectric Effect," TPT, Vol. 27, # 8, p. 637, (Nov. 1989).

Donna A. Berry, "Television Experiments," TPT, Vol. 26, # 8, p. 541, (November 1988).

R.D. Edge, "Coefficient of Restitution," TPT, Vol. 26, # 8, p. 540, (November 1988).

Harry H. Kemp, "Elasticity Shown with Mirror Blank and Marble", TPT, Vol. 15, # 7, Oct. 1977, p. 420.

George T. Johnston, "The Scientific Method and Cooled Superball", TPT, Vol. 16, # 3, Mar. 1978, p. 172.

C. E. Aguiar, and F. Laudares, "Listening to the Restitution and the Gravitational Acceleration of a Bouncing Ball", AJP, Vol. 71, # 5, May 2003, p. 499.

I. Stensgaard, E. Laegsgaard, "Listening to the Coefficient of Restitution-Revisted", AJP, Vol. 69, # 3, p. 301, March 2001.

D. Gugan, "Inelastic Collision and the Hertz Theory of Impact", AJP, Vol. 68, # 10, p. 920, Oct. 2000.

G. Guercio and V. Zanetti, "Determination of Gravitational Acceleration Using a Rubber Ball," AJP, Vol. 55, # 1, January 1987.

Alan D. Bernstein, "Listening to the Coefficient of Restitution", AJP, Vol. 45, # 1, Jan. 1977, p. 41.

Philip A. Maurone and Francis J. Wunderlich, "Bouncing Ball Experiment", AJP, Vol. 46, # 4, Apr. 1978, p. 413.

K. Sundaralingam, "Comment on "Listening to the Coefficient of Restitution", AJP, Vol. 46, # 9, Sept. 1978, p. 951

Mw- 3, Freier and Anderson, A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.

M- 69, Richard Manliffe Sutton, Demonstration Experiments in Physics.

S.K. Foong, D. Kiang, P. Lee, R.H. March and B.E. Paton, "How Long Does It Take a Bouncing Ball to Bounce an Infinite Number of Times?", Physics Education, Vol. 39, (1), Jan. 2004, p. 40.

Ron Hipschman, "Bouncing Ball," Exploratorium Cookbook III, p. 199-1 - 199-4.

Robert Ehrlich, "Coefficient of Restitution," Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down, p. 93- 96.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille