when a "superball" is dropped, can it rebound to a height greater than its original height? explain.
2006-12-27 02:52:14 · 6 answers · asked by Luis M 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No. If it is thrown down it can, but not if it is just dropped. When you drop it, it starts with no kinetic energy and some amount of potential energy. As it falls, some of the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. When it bounces, some of the kinetic energy is absorbed by the ground and the rest causes the ball to move up again, getting converted back to potential energy as it does. If no energy at all was lost to the ground during the bounce, the ball would still have all its kinetic energy as it started back up and would reach its original height. If a little is lost to the ground, it ALMOST reaches its original height. If all is lost to the ground, it just stays on the ground without bouncing at all, like a beanbag. The only way to make it bounce higher is to supply extra energy, by throwing it down so that it starts out with all its potential energy plus some extra kinetic energy.
2006-12-27 02:54:32 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless something else is going on, no. When a superball is dropped, it initially has potential energy (m*g*h) that gets transfered to kinetic energy (1/2*m*v^2) as the ball accelerates downwards. Air resistance causes some of the ball's energy to be dissopated. Superballs bounce so high because they have a high elasticity. Elasticity is a measure of how efficient a material is in storing and releasing mechanical energy. When a superball hits the floor, it will compress and rebound, and in the process convert some of the energy into heat in the floor and the superball. The height the ball bounces depends on the floor material also. A ball dropped on carpet will not bounce nearly as high as a ball dropped on cement.
This is really a conservation of energy issue. In order for a superball to bounce higher than the height it was dropped, energy must have been added to the ball. Now, if a ball is thrown downwards, the ball has an initial kinetic energy as it leaves your hand, and this additional energy allows the ball to bounce to a height greater than the height of its release point. This isn't really dropping the ball though.
2006-12-27 11:07:16 · answer #2 · answered by Jess 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is "thrown" yes, if it is simply "dropped" (starts at 0 velocity), then no. This happens since some of the gravtiational potentail energy it possesses at its drop point will be "lost" during impact with the ground as sound and heat. This leaves the ball with less energy to convert back to gravitational PE and hence it reaches a lower height.
If the ball is thrown with a certain speed, the elastic characteristics of the ball minimize the effect caused by the loss of energy as descibed above. In fact, the ball deforms (flattens) and therefore gains elastic potential energy (same as a compressed spring). As it returns to its original shape, it converts this elastic PE into kinetic energy. This time, the energy would be enough to exceed the original height.
2006-12-27 11:01:46 · answer #3 · answered by alexsopos 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From the point of view of possibility yes, Just push it to give it non-zero intial velocity.
2006-12-27 11:25:08 · answer #4 · answered by Mohamed K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, because some of the original energy is lost on the bounce.
2006-12-27 10:56:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No
-air resistance
-gravity
2006-12-27 10:55:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋