Air Pressure and the Coefficient of Restitution of a Ball

Abstract

The relationship between the internal air pressure and the coefficient of restitution was investigated for an inflated rubber ball. The ball was dropped and its position was tracked with a motion detector. The velocity, before and after impact, and the internal pressure were determined. It was found that the pressure and the coefficient of restitution were exponentially related, with the coefficient of restitution approaching a maximum value at higher pressures.

Keywords

• ball
• bounce
• pressure
• coefficient of restitution