1. Bouncing Balls
A Predicting Activity

2. This activity provides experience in making predictions.
Bouncing Balls
This activity provides experience in making predictions.
It also provides experience in dealing with:
observation
charting and graphing (communication skills)
operational definitions
and using numbers

3. Be sure to have read the materials on the Science Processes.
Bouncing Balls
Be sure to have read the materials on the Science Processes.
Complete each slide before moving on to the next.
Answer all questions posed throughout the activity.

4. Materials Needed
Three balls with good bouncing ability (pictured are a ping pong ball, a racquet ball, and a tennis ball.)
Two meter sticks.
Tape.
Writing materials.

5. Step 1
Tape the meter sticks to the wall with the “0” end resting on the floor.

6. Design Table 1 (Your table should look something like the one below.)
Step 2
Design Table 1 (Your table should look something like the one below.)
Click here for some music while you make your Table.

7. Step 3
Select the first ball and drop it from each of the drop heights listed on your table.
You need to operationally define drop ht in terms of the part of the ball that is held at each distance from the floor. Center of the ball? Top? Bottom?

8. Step 4 Drop the ball and record the bounce ht on your table.
You will need to observe carefully to get an accurate bounce ht.
Repeat this step until you have 3 accurate observations for each of the drop hts. Average them for your recorded bounce ht.
Repeat this step for each ball.

9. Design Table 2
Step 5
Based upon the data from Table 1 what predictions would you make about the bounce heights of the three balls if the drop heights were changed?
In Table 2 (next slide) the drop heights have been changed plus the bounce height columns have been split to allow you to make predictions before dropping the balls from the new heights.
For each ball at each new drop ht. make a prediction about it’s bounce and record it. Then test your prediction by observing the bounce when dropped from the new height. Note! Do this one cell at a time. Make one prediction then test it before making your next prediction.
Test your predictions by using the same procedure as in Table 1 – including 3 observations for each drop height .

10. Predicted/Observed Bounce Hts.
Table 2
Predicted/Observed Bounce Hts.
Click here for some funky table-making music.

11. Post answers on the discussion board to the following questions:
Step 6
Post answers on the discussion board to the following questions:
1. Did your ability to predict the bounce heights get better with practice? Why?
2. Were any of the balls, or heights, easier to predict than others? Develop and list inferences to account for the differences.
3. Observations of natural events are sometimes difficult to make (scientists refer to this as “measurement error” ). What procedure(s) did we use to try to correct for measurement error?
4. Can you identify how we used the process skills of “Communication”?

12. This activity is completed! So relax for a moment or two.