Does Freezing Have an Effect on the Bounciness of Tennis Balls?

To professional tennis players, the prospect of a frozen tennis ball probably doesn't rank high on the list of common concerns. However, such experimental musings about those fuzzy, bouncy balls can be just as interesting as the ins and outs of a backhand return. It stands to reason that very cold temperatures would affect the bounciness of a tennis ball, but only experimenting can prove it for sure. Whether for fun, for a science project or to gain an advantage in a tennis match, conduct an experiment and observe how freezing affects the properties of a common tennis ball.

Things You'll Need

  • Freezer
  • Tennis ball
  • Tape measure
  • Hard surface
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Instructions

    • 1

      Drop a room-temperature tennis ball from a determined height and measure how high it bounces. Observe that the ball bounces because its soft surface compresses somewhat when it hits the ground. The air inside the ball then expands to push it back into the round shape -- its most stable state. This projects the tennis ball up into the air.

    • 2

      Put the same tennis ball in the freezer for 1 hour, or until it feels frozen. Drop the ball from the same height as in Step 1, and measure how high it rebounds. You will notice that it does not bounce as high. The frozen shell of the ball will be more rigid, and will therefore not compress as much.

    • 3

      Freeze tennis balls for different lengths of time and drop them from a constant height. Record the height of their rebounds. Measure how long it takes a frozen ball to regain its bounciness.