5.2: Bouncing Balls
- Page ID
- 6954
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)When a ball is dropped to the ground, one of four things may happen:
- It may rebound with exactly the same speed as the speed at which it hit the ground. This is an elastic collision.
- It may come to a complete rest, for example if it were a ball of soft putty. I shall call this a completely inelastic collision.
- It may bounce back, but with a reduced speed. For want of a better term I shall refer to this as a somewhat inelastic collision.
- If there happens to be a little heap of gunpowder lying on the table where the ball hits it, it may bounce back with a faster speed than it had immediately before collision. That would be a superelastic collision.
The ratio
\[ \dfrac{\text{speed after collision}}{\text{speed before collision}} \nonumber \]
is called the coefficient of restitution, for which I shall use the speed before collision symbol \( e\). The coefficient is 1 for an elastic collision, less than 1 for an inelastic collision, zero for a completely inelastic collision, and greater than 1 for a superelastic collision. The ratio of kinetic energy (after) to kinetic energy (before) is evidently, in this situation, \( e^{2}\).
If a ball falls on to a table from a height \( h_{0}\), it will take a time \( t_{0} = \sqrt{2H_{0}lg} \) to fall. If the collision is somewhat inelastic it will then rise to a height \( h_{1}=e^{2}h_{0}\) and it will take a time \( et\) to reach height \( h_{1}\). Then it will fall again, and bounce again, this time to a lesser height. And, if the coefficient of restitution remains the same, it will continue to do this for an infinite number of bounces. After a billion bounces, there is still an infinite number of bounces yet to come. The total distance travelled is
\[ h = h_{0} +2h_{0}(e^{2}+e^{4}+e^{6}+...) \tag{5.2.1}\label{eq:5.2.1} \]
and the time taken is
\[ t = t_{0} +2t_{0}(e + e^{2}+e^{3}+...). \tag{5.2.2}\label{eq:5.2.2} \]
These are geometric series, and their sums are
\[ h = h_{0} \left(\frac{1+e^{2}}{1-e^{2}}\right), \tag{5.2.3}\label{eq:5.2.3} \]
which is independent of g (i.e. of the planet on which this experiment is performed), and
\[ t = t_{0} \left(\frac{1+e}{1-e} \right) \tag{5.2.4}\label{eq:5.2.4} \]
For example, suppose \( h_{0}\) = 1 m, \( e\) = 0.5, \( g\) = 9.8 m s−2, then the ball comes to rest in 1.36 s after having travelled 1.67 m after an infinite number of bounces.
Does the ball ever stop bouncing, given that, after every bounce, there is still an infinite number yet to come; yet after 1.36 seconds it is no longer bouncing...?