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Impact of Surface Friction on Ball Speed

The research investigates how surface friction affects the speed of a tennis ball rolling on various surfaces, hypothesizing that increased friction will decrease the ball's speed. The experiment will vary surface types and measure the ball's speed while controlling factors like initial force and environmental conditions. The findings aim to enhance understanding of the relationship between friction and motion in sports dynamics.

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jkundiswami
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61 views2 pages

Impact of Surface Friction on Ball Speed

The research investigates how surface friction affects the speed of a tennis ball rolling on various surfaces, hypothesizing that increased friction will decrease the ball's speed. The experiment will vary surface types and measure the ball's speed while controlling factors like initial force and environmental conditions. The findings aim to enhance understanding of the relationship between friction and motion in sports dynamics.

Uploaded by

jkundiswami
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Research Question

How does the surface friction affect the speed of a tennis ball rolling on
different surfaces?

Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that as the surface friction increases, the speed of the
tennis ball will decrease. This is based on the principle that higher friction
between the ball and the surface will result in more resistance, slowing
down the ball's motion.

“As the surface friction increases, the speed of the tennis ball will
decrease.”

Variables
- Independent Variable: Surface friction (controlled by using different
surfaces with varying levels of roughness)

- Dependent Variable: Speed of the tennis ball

- Controlled Variables:

1. Initial force applied to the ball

2. Mass and size of the tennis ball

3. Temperature and humidity of the environment

Setup For Experiment


1. Changing the Independent Variable: Use different surfaces such as
smooth glass, rough sandpaper, and a wooden surface to vary the friction
experienced by the tennis ball.

2. Measuring the Dependent Variable: Measure the speed of the tennis


ball using a stopwatch and marked distance. Record the time taken for the
ball to travel a set distance on each surface.

3. Controlling Variables:

- Apply the same initial force to the ball for each trial.

- Use the same tennis ball for all trials to maintain consistency.
- Ensure the experiment is conducted in the same room under constant
temperature and humidity conditions.

Data Table
Surface T1 (s) T2 (s) T3 (s) Average Speed
Type Trial Time (m/s)
(s)
Smooth
Glass
Rough
Sandpape
r
Wooden
Surface

Scientific Reasoning
Friction is a force that opposes the motion of an object. When a tennis ball
rolls on a surface, the friction between the ball and the surface affects its
speed. Higher friction will result in more energy being converted into heat,
reducing the speed of the ball. By testing different surfaces with varying
levels of friction, we can observe how this factor influences the speed of
the tennis ball, providing valuable insights into the relationship between
surface friction and speed.

In each trial we can calculate the speed by doing speed=distance / time


where we identify the distance travelled by the ball and the time it took
Suppose the distance travelled was 10m and the time taken was 5
seconds
to calculate speed we can simply do 10/5 = 2 m / s ^2

This will also show us how friction works with the surface as each trial will
vary with the same distance because of the friction of each surface, and
thus we can identify speed and calculate such for speed, this gives us a
vivid idea on how the concepts of friction and speed works and how we
can convert these concepts into a form of an experiment. Its really a very
intriguing topic.

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