Randall D. Knight — Force and Motion: Problem 56

A rubber ball bounces. We’d like to understand how the ball bounces. a. A rubber ball has been dropped and is bouncing off the floor. Draw a motion diagram of the ball during the brief time interval that it is in contact with the floor. Show 4 or 5 frames as the ball compresses, then another 4 or 5 frames as the ball expands. What is the direction of \(\vec{a}\) during each of these parts of the motion? b. Draw a picture of the ball in contact with the floor and identify all forces acting on the ball. c. Draw a free-body diagram of the ball during its contact with the ground. Is there a net force acting on the ball? If so, in which direction? d. Write a paragraph in which you describe what you learned from parts a to c and in which you answer the question: How does a ball bounce?