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In this activity, students drop rubber balls in order to observe and measure the effects of elasticity.

They use graphs to make predictions for further trials.

Topic: Elasticity

Real World Science Topics:

•An exploration of how the height of a rebound is related to the height a ball is dropped from.• An exploration of the elasticity of rubber balls.

ObjectiveStudents will gain an understanding of how the height from which a ball is dropped affects how high it bounces. Students will also learn about averaging, graphing, and lines of best-fit in this exploration.

Materials Needed for Each Team of 2-4 students rubber ball meter stick or tape measure graph paper pencil

BOUNCE! (1 Hour)

Addresses NGSS Level of Difficulty: 2 Grade Range: 3-5

OVERVIEW

NGSS Three-Dimensions

Science and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

• Obtaining, evaluating, andcommunicating information in3–5 builds on K–2 experiencesand progresses to evaluatingthe merit and accuracy of ideasand methods.

DisciplinaryCore Ideas

PS2.A: Forces and Motion

• The patterns of an object’s motionin various situations can beobserved and measured; whenthat past motion exhibits a regularpattern, future motion can bepredicted from it.

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

• Patterns of change can beused to make predictions.

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1. Warm-up Activity: Show students a piece of putty and a rubber band. Ask the students which they thinkis more elastic. Students might be confused about the definition of elastic, and so they might pick the puttybecause it can stretch more easily. Explain that, in science, a substance is said to be elastic if it is able toreturn to its original shape when it is stretched or squeezed. Ask the students again which object they thinkis more elastic. Students should now recognize that the rubber band is more elastic than the putty.

2. Distribute the Bounce! handout and materials to each group of 2-4 students. Tell students that the ballshould only be used in the manner described in the activity.

3. Students should create a hypothesis regarding the affect of height on the height of the bounce and recordit on the Bounce! handout.

4. For the activity to work properly, students will need to drop the ball straight down, without giving it anyadditional energy (i.e., by throwing it). Have the students practice dropping the balls without moving theirhands, so that the balls bounce straight back upward. (If the ball does not bounce straight up and down, it ispossible that the floor is not flat. If that is the case, have students move to a different area of the classroom.)As they practice dropping the balls, students should develop systems for accurately observing how highthe balls bounce. Although students should use a meter stick to measure the height of the bounce, theyshould also have a way of confirming their observations. one way to do this is to drop the ball in front ofa non-uniform background, such as a book shelf or a wall with decorations on it. Students should measurethe heights of various distinctive parts of the background. This will help them confirm the heights that theymeasure with the meter stick or tape measure.

5. Before students start have them write a hypothesis regarding the effect of dropping the ball from a greaterheight on the height of the bounce, as well as the ratio of the height of the bounce to the original height.

6. Each group should hold a meter stick or tape measure such that the 0 cm mark is touching the floor.For the first trial, each group should drop its ball from the 20 cm mark on the meter stick. They should makesure the bottom of the ball is aligned with the 20 cm mark before they drop it. They should measure theheight of the bounce by observing how far up the meter stick the bottom of the ball reaches on the bounce.Students should record their observations in the table on the handout. Have them perform five trials fromthis height.

7. Students should repeat the ball drop from 40 cm and 60 cm. They should perform five trials at each height.Again, have the students record their observations on the table.

8. Students should calculate the average height the ball reached in each trial. They should then plot theseaverage heights on a graph of average bounce height vs. drop height. They should then draw a line of best fitthrough the three points. (The points should lie nearly along a straight line. Remind students that a best-fitline does not have to pass through all three points, and that it should be a straight line. You may have to helpsome students identify their best-fit lines.)

9. Students should also find the average ration of the bounce height to the original for each of the first threesets of trials and record the results in the table.

STEPS FOR BOUNCE!

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10. Have students use their graphs to make predictions of how high the balls will bounce when they aredropped from 80 cm and 100 cm. To make these predictions, students should extend their best-fit lines untilthey pass through a point aligned with the 100 cm mark on the horizontal axis. They should use a ruler todraw vertical lines through the 80 cm and 100 cm marks on the axis (the lines should intersect the best-fitline). They should then use the ruler to determine the approximate y-coordinate (average bounce height)for each intersection point. These values should be their predictions for the fourth and fifth drops.

11. Students should also use the ratio of bounce height to original height to predict the bounce height forthe final two sets of trials. For example, they could find the fraction of the original height that the ballbounced on average for the different heights, and use that fraction to predict the height of the bounce for80 cm and 100 cm.

12. Students should repeat the ball drop from 80 cm and 100 cm. They should perform five trials at eachheight, and record their observations on the table.

13. Have students calculate the average bounce height for the 80 cm and 100 cm drops and compare itto their predictions.

14. Wrap-up Activity: For this wrap-up activity, you will drop another ball made of a different material (forexample, a tennis ball, golf ball, table tennis ball, or bean-bag ball) from 100 cm. Before you drop the ball,pass it around to students so that they can see how it feels. Then have each group make and record theirprediction for how high the ball will bounce.

Have student volunteers come to the front of the class to measure the height of the bounce for the ball. Perform five trials, and record the results on the board. Calculate the average bounce height and compare it to the students’ predictions.

Lead a discussion of how elasticity caused the ball to bounce. Ask students what happens when the ball hits the ground. If students need help, show them something else being compressed, like a ball of paper or putty. Then ask them what happens to an elastic object when it is compressed. Students should remember from the introduction that the object returns to its original shape. Tell students that this elastic force causes the ball to bounce.

Bounce! Extension Activity For the extension activity, students can compare the elasticity of a variety of materials. To do this, they can perform the experiment above using different objects. To save time and reduce the number of variables, they should drop all objects from the same height (100 cm is suggested, as it will produce the highest bounces and therefore probably allow for the most accurate measurements). Students should create a bar graph displaying the average bounce heights for the objects they selected. They should use this information to compare the elasticity of the different objects. Encourage them to identify factors that might affect the results (such as the shapes of the objects).

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What is elasticity? When people think about something being elastic, they usually think of that object being able to be stretched. For example, rubber bands can be stretched well beyond their original length without breaking. However, this is not what makes them elastic. Scientifically speaking, a substance is elastic if it quickly returns to its original shape after it is stretched. Substances (such as putty) that stretch easily but do not return to their original shapes are said to be plastic, but not elastic.

How do scientists measure elasticity? There are different ways to measure elasticity. one measure of elasticity is Young’s modulus, which is essentially a ratio of the amount of force applied to the object to the amount of deformation the object experiences. Scientists measure Young’s modulus by applying force to an object and observing how much the object is deformed under that force. The more the object deforms under stress, the smaller the Young’s modulus is. Another way to measure elasticity is to measure the number of times an object can be stretched while maintaining its ability to return to its exact original shape. The more precisely the object returns to its original shape, the more elastic it is.

What are some real world uses of elastic materials? Elastic materials have many real world uses. Many common objects, such as rubber bands, make use of elastic materials. Springs of all kinds are elastic. The elasticity of the spring comes primarily from its coiled shape. Elastic materials are used in many types of clothing, particularly those such as professional swimsuits, which are intended to closely hug the body. The elasticity of rubber allows the material to be used in many applications where a material must rebound from repeated stresses. These include car tires and running shoes.

BOUNCE! BACKGROUND INFORMATION

key VocabularyElastic: describes a material that can be stretched or squeezed and return to its original shape

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Name date

How do you think the original height of the ball will affect the height of the bounce? Do you think the ratio between the two will change with height?

[I think dropping the ball from higher will lead to a higher bounce. I do not think that dropping it from higher will change the ratio of the original height to the bounce height.]

TEACHER HANDOUT FOR BOUNCE!

Height Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Average Original Height Average Bounce

20cm

40cm

60cm

80cm

100cm

Based on the line of best-fit on your graph, what is your prediction for the height of the bounce for 80 cm and 100 cm?

Based on the ratio in your table, what is your prediction for the height of the bounce for 80 cm and 100 cm?

Did your observations support your hypothesis? Explain your answer.

[My data supported my hypothesis. The ball bounced higher when we dropped it from a greater height, and the ratio was about the same for all heights.]

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Name date

How do you think the original height of the ball will affect the height of the bounce? Do you think the ratio between the two will change with height?

STUDENT HANDOUT FOR BOUNCE!

Height Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Average Original Height Average Bounce

20cm

40cm

60cm

80cm

100cm

Based on the line of best-fit on your graph, what is your prediction for the height of the bounce for 80 cm and 100 cm?

Based on the ratio in your table, what is your prediction for the height of the bounce for 80 cm and 100 cm?

Did your observations support your hypothesis? Explain your answer.