What Kinds of Balls Bounce?

Sports and recreation are important parts of American culture. Games such as basketball, tennis, dodge ball and soccer are but a few where bouncing balls are commonly used. Physics is a scientific discipline that can explain how balls bounce and what kinds are best suited for use in a specific game. Materials used to make balls also play an important role in terms of their ability to roll and bounce.

  1. Basketballs

    • Basketball is a game that specializes in the use of a bouncing ball that is designed not only to be bounced on a hard surface but shot through a hoop or ricocheted off of a backboard. Basketballs work by converting potential energy into kinetic energy, and this happens when a player dribbles a ball on a court. When the ball is being held in a player's hand, it stores up potential energy and when the ball is dropped to the ground to be dribbled it creates kinetic energy. Once the basketball hits the ground it releases some of its kinetic energy and doesn't bounce back to its original position. This results in the player having to apply an even amount of force to get the ball to bounce at a continuous and even pace.

    Soccer Balls

    • Materials that are best suited for bouncing balls reduce the amount of friction and repel moisture. Balls such as soccer balls and synthetic dodge balls are excellent examples of balls that bounce. Soccer balls are no longer made out of leather but NBA basketballs are made from this material. Leather balls absorb perspiration and cause a ball to become heavier, which means that it will be harder to bounce. Synthetic leather balls are used for the United States Soccer Federation. Balls made from hard rubber have a tendency to bounce higher than many other types of balls since they do not lose a lot of their kinetic energy when they come into contact with a surface or an object.

    Tennis Balls

    • Tennis balls are designed according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) specifications. These balls are designed to bounce between 53 to 58 inches and they have different surfaces, which include wool and synthetic felt. Each ball is designed for specific types of courts, which include hard clay and grass. ITF rules do not specify cover types or how they're woven; it's just important they bounce at a certain height, have a diameter greater than 2 and 1/2 inches but less than 2 5/8 inches and a weight of more than 2 ounces but less than 2 and 1/16 ounces.

    Hard Rubber Balls

    • According to the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), balls with harder surfaces will have a tendency to bounce higher than those constructed from softer materials. Hard rubber balls can bounce higher than synthetic or leather balls because they do not lose as much of their kinetic energy when they come into contact with a surface. When a hard rubber ball comes into contact with a surface, it loses very little of its kinetic energy and has the ability to bounce back at the height it was released from, and in some cases it can bounce back even higher than its starting position.