Experiments With Throwing Different Balls

If you have ever wanted to figure out different aspects of science, like the force of gravity on an object, or the velocity with which something travels, there are many different ways to do so. One way you can accomplish your goal, and use some athleticism at the same time, is by gathering some friends (or fellow scientists), heading to a local athletic field, and throwing a few different balls around.

  1. Effects of Gravity

    • To help you explain the effects of gravity on an object, gather a few friends, grab a football (or soccer ball, or any ball), and a video camera. Head outside to your yard or an athletic field and film your friends throwing the ball in the air using an underhand toss. Toss the ball into the air at different heights several times. When you're done, review the film and focus on figuring out how the forces of gravity cause the ball to arc and then return to earth. Another thing you can do with this experiment is show your work and then explain to others how tossing the ball would be different in places where gravity is nonexistent, like in space.

    Physics and a Baseball

    • Determine the speed an object travels through the air using a baseball. Throw the baseball back and forth with a friend in different conditions like high wind or even humid temperatures. By doing so, you can explain the forces working against the ball as it travels from point A to point B. You can also try to determine the highest speed the ball can reach in different conditions using physics equations.

      To advance this experiment even further, try variables that make the ball travel faster in any condition. One way involves applying a slicker material to the outside of the ball to cut down on wind resistance.

    Temperature and Tennis Balls

    • One experiment to determine the effects of hot or cold temperatures on an object uses tennis balls. First figure out how high the balls can bounce at room temperature. Find a windless place with a hard surface (like your driveway or a tennis court) and stand on a chair. Throw or drop the balls and, using a tape measure (at least 100 inches), measure the height the ball bounces in the air after it strikes the ground.

      Next, introduce the tennis balls to different temperatures. Heat the balls by leaving them in the sun for a couple of hours, or wrap the balls in a heating pad and use a safe heat source. You can freeze the balls by placing them in a zippered bag and leaving them in a cooler filled with ice. Do not remove the balls from the heat or cold until you are ready to test them.

      Use the same hard surface as you did when the test was conducted with the tennis balls at room temperature. Stand at the same distance from the ground (preferably on the same chair) and perform the same experiment with the hot and cold tennis balls. Perform the throws and record the heights of the bounces at least 10 times. Plot the heights of the bounces on a graph to determine how the different temperatures affect the tennis ball's bounce.

    Velocity of a Softball

    • An experiment to determine velocity involves a cardboard box packed with enough soft objects, like rags or packing peanuts, that ball does not bounce back out.

      Measure and write down the mass of the softball, and then the mass of the packed box. Then place the ball on a flat, smooth surface and record its starting position.

      Throw (don't roll) the softball lightly into the box. You only need to throw the ball hard or fast enough to move the box slightly, about 4 inches in a straight line.

      After throwing the ball into the box, measure and write down how far the box traveled after the ball hit it. Then measure the force of friction by pulling the box, with the ball still inside of it, at a consistent speed across the floor.

      Use the information you recorded during your experiment to determine things like the average acceleration the box experienced or how fast the box moved immediately after the softball collided with it.