Physics IA

[Rezzurector]

Hi guys,

I have an idea for my physics IA (SL) that involves bouncing a ball on a material (unsure of what material to use) of different thicknesses and measuring the coefficient of restitution. However I am unsure if changing the thickness of the material will make an impact on the bounce of the ball and have been unable to find any information online. So I would like to know if the thickness of different surface materials affect the bounce of the ball. 

Any help is appreciated, thanks

[alessandromasettipl]

Hey, Rezzurector

Yes, and no. It's difficult, for example all materials after a certain thickness no longer matter for the restitution coefficient. Meaning that after a certain point, it'll just bounce back the same. But some materials are more absorbant than others, so changing their thickness could alter how they bounce. However, this also creates an uncertainty in your IA because how can you ensure, when you change the thickness of the material, that the material has the same materialistic properties that the previous thickness has. This could skew the results. 

I personally was encourgaing some friends last year to do something related to Tuned Mass Dampening. If you look on youtube, TMD explanation, there are some great videos using accelerometres that could help you, if you want. You'd just need Logic pro or some recording device, and accelerometre and you could link it to waves. Otherwise, your current IA sounds fun, you just need to be more aware of the uncertainty, and choosing the right materials beforehand, because you don't have too much time to waste.