Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Physical Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Physical Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Source:
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Phenomenon:
Students drop the same rubber ball from a low, medium, and high height. From the low height, the ball barely bounces. From the medium height, it bounces higher. From the high height, it bounces the highest and makes a louder sound on the floor. Students wonder: How does changing the starting height help us predict what will happen when the ball collides with the ground?
When an object is lifted off the ground, it has stored energy because of its height. The higher you lift it, the more stored energy it has. When the object is dropped, this stored energy changes into motion energy as it falls. Right before the object hits the ground, it has its greatest motion energy.
During the collision with the ground, this energy is transferred and converted. Some becomes sound energy, which you hear as a louder “thump” when the ball is dropped from higher up. Some becomes heat energy in the ball and floor. Some is transferred back into the ball, pushing it upward and causing it to bounce. Because energy is conserved, the changes we observe depend on how much motion energy the ball had before the collision.
Students can explore this by dropping a ball from different heights and measuring how high it bounces. A ball dropped from a greater height has more stored energy, which becomes more motion energy, which produces a higher bounce. These observations help us ask and predict: If we change the drop height, how will the collision outcomes change?
Drop Height | Bounce Height (cm) | Sound Level (dB) |
|---|---|---|
Low (0.5 m) | 18 | 52 |
Medium (1.0 m) | 36 | 61 |
High (1.5 m) | 55 | 70 |
Look at Table 1. How do the bounce height and sound level change as the drop height increases from low to high?
From which drop height does the ball have the most energy just before hitting the ground?
Using Figure 1, describe the pattern between drop height and bounce height.
Explain why the ball dropped from the lowest height makes the quietest sound when it hits the ground.
Which piece of evidence best supports the idea that greater energy causes greater changes during a collision?
How does changing the drop height help you predict what will happen when the ball collides with the ground?
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning: