Extra Bounce

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In this indoor or outdoor demonstration, use a large and small ball to illustrate conservation of energy and momentum. Learners will compare how high the balls bounce when bounced individually or together. This experiment can also be used as a good demonstration of Chaos effects. This activity guide includes a helpful video that demonstrates each step of the demonstration.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
Under 5 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
free per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 4 - adult
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • large ball that bounces (e.g. soccer ball or basketball)
  • small ball that bounces (approx 10cm in diameter)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Energy
      • Potential and Kinetic Energy
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Mass and Weight
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Outdoor Activity
  • Sports and Exercise
  • Toys

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Institute of Physics,