Chapter 11, Problem 60A

To determine

To explain: The decrease in elastic potential and the kinetic energy of the bouncing rubber ball. Also, the motion of the ball.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Consider the bouncing of a rubber ball.When the ball hits the floor, a part of the energy possessed by the rubber ball is lost in the form of heat and sound in every bounce of the ball.

Consider the ball is released from the hand of a person and strikes the floor surface and bounces back.When the ball is released from the hand, the ball’s potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.When the ball with kinetic energy strikes the surface, it gets deformed and tries to regain its shape completely.During this time, a part of the ball’s kinetic energy $\left(\text{KE}\right)$ is transformed in to elastic potential energy and the rest of the kinetic energy is lost in the form of sound and heat. The ball bounces with the reduced kinetic energy.This loss of energy occurs every time the ball comes in contact with the floor as a part of ball’s kinetic energy is lost in every bounce of the ball.As the ball’s kinetic energy is lost in every bounce, the height attained by the ball reduces in every consequent bounces. After certain bounces of the ball, the entire kinetic energy of the ball is lost in the form of sound and heat, and the bouncing of a ball stops.