Abstract
A simple experiment carried out with readily available equipment is used to investigate the interesting physics that occurs when a ball is bounced on a flat surface and left to continue bouncing until it stops. A solution well known from introductory physics courses is that if a ball loses a fraction of its energy on each bounce, then it will bounce infinitely many times in a finite time interval. A convolutional model of the sound a bouncing ball makes is created using an impulse response function and a prediction based on energy loss that the sound amplitudes will decay linearly to zero as the ball stops bouncing. Strategies for data analysis using correlation and deconvolution with the impulse response function are shown to simplify the picking of bounce times. Observations from several data examples show that the convolutional model is a good description of the real data and that we observe a linear decrease in sound amplitude consistent with the model prediction.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
