Physics-investigate the relationship of temperature and the height of the bounce of a squash ball

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Navrachana International School                Shivani Patel

Topic: Kinematics

Title: Bounce of Squash Ball

Date Performed: March 24th 2012

Date of Submission: April 2nd 2012


Aim: 

To investigate the relationship of temperature and the height of the bounce of a squash ball

Background:

Before beginning a game of squash, the players usually knock the ball around to warm it in order to improve its bounce. A squash ball is made up of two rubber halves. It contains a specific amount of compressed air. Some of this compressed air is lost when the ball comes in contact with another object (therefore, for the investigation a brand new squash ball should be used). The ball also heats up slightly on impact, and therefore the more times the ball comes in contact with another object with substantial force, the more it heats up. When the temperature of a squash ball increases, the pressure of the air inside the ball will increase according to Boyles Law. (Temperature and Pressure are directly proportional when the Volume is constant) The greater the pressure inside the ball the higher it will bounce back when it comes in contact with the ground, though it will not bounce back to its original position due to energy loss, and transformation to thermal energy because the ball is not made out of perfectly elastic material.

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Research Question:

How does temperature of a squash ball affect the height of the bounce of a squash ball?

Hypothesis:

I hypothesize that as the number of bounces increases, so will the temperature, and as the temperature increases, the height of the bounce of the squash ball will increase. This is due to the direct proportionality of the temperature and pressure of gases, as in the rubber squash ball there is compressed air.

Variables:

Independent:

Bounces of the Ball causing a change in temperature

This will be varied by the use of a squash racket and ...

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