Science Fair Project on How Air Temperature Affects the Bounce of a Basketball

A basketball's bounce is what makes it such a great play item. Measuring the effects of air temperature on the bounce of a basketball can reveal a lot about air pressure.

  1. Materials

    • For this experiment you will need a basketball, an air pressure gauge, a ladder, a measuring stick, butcher paper, a marker, a video recorder and access to a thermostat.

    Performing the Experiment

    • To begin this experiment, tape butcher paper to the wall of a room with a hard floor. Since every experiment needs a control, the room temperature will be the control in this experiment. Choose a median temperature to start with, and set the thermostat to that temperature. Make sure you ball is fully inflated and record the air pressure of the ball with your pressure gauge. Have a volunteer video record you dropping the ball from the ladder and measure the ball's bounce against your butcher paper. Choose extreme cold and hot temperature to repeat the exercise, being sure to record the ball's air pressure each time.

    Analyze the Data

    • As the air temperature decreases, the air pressure of your ball should decrease, causing the ball to bounce less than in warmer temperatures. The reason for this is that air molecules slow down in cold air, creating less tension for bounce inside the ball.