Question

A very bouncy ball is dropped from a height of 2.23 m to an asphalt playground surface and the height of its 6th bounce is measured to be 1.53 m. Find the coefficient of restitution of the ball for a collision with asphalt.

Answer 1

The Coefficient of Restitution, when the variables are given in height, takes the form

C = (B/A)^1/2.

Where 'B' is the maximum height of the object after collision from the floor, and 'A' is the height at which it was first dropped from, and 'C' is the Coefficient of Restitution.

Here the height of the ball after 6th bounce = 1.53 m

Since the ball is very bouncy so we can assume that very little energy is lost by the ball till 6th bounce and it is the maximum height attend by thee ball after collision.

Therefore, B = 1.53 m

So, C = (1.53/2.23)^1/2 = 0.83

Hence, coefficient of restitution = 0.83