Bouncing Balls

[AV1611VET]

Hi there!

So I got to thinking, and I was wondering if someone would explain this to me in English:

Suppose I place a tennis ball atop a basketball and climb to the top floor of the Taj Mahal in India and drop them onto the street below.

The basketball hits first and bounces a few feet in the air, but the tennis ball, atop the basketball, will rocket into the air like a firecracker.

Why is that?

 

[4x4toy]

 

[HitchSlap]

 

[AV1611VET]

* video *

Thanks!

 

[quatona]

Hi there!

So I got to thinking, and I was wondering if someone would explain this to me in English:

Suppose I place a tennis ball atop a basketball and climb to the top floor of the Taj Mahal in India and drop them onto the street below.

The basketball hits first and bounces a few feet in the air, but the tennis ball, atop the basketball, will rocket into the air like a firecracker.

Why is that?

Because God wants it so.

 

[durangodawood]

Why isnt this a "challenge"?

 

[florida2]

Why isnt this a "challenge"?

It's that rarest of beasts: a thread where AV asks a genuine scientific question because he wants a genuine answer. Mark the day in your diary!

 

[AV1611VET]

Why isnt this a "challenge"?

I thought about it, but decided against.

Mainly because it didn't involve a miracle to be explained.

 

[durangodawood]

I thought about it, but decided against.

Mainly because it didn't involve a miracle to be explained.

Are you sure?

It looks pretty miraculous to me... ball bouncing higher than it falls.

 

[florida2]

I thought about it, but decided against.

Mainly because it didn't involve a miracle to be explained.

It's just a simple (but pretty cool) physics question. The only challenge would be if someone could take the five seconds required to google the answer, which would take you less time than posting s thread in here and waiting for replies.

 

[AV1611VET]

It's just a simple (but pretty cool) physics question. The only challenge would be if someone could take the five seconds required to google the answer, which would take you less time than posting s thread in here and waiting for replies.

What have you learned by reading Q & A from others? anything or nothing?

 

[Jimmy D]

Actually, I'm glad AV asked. I've never seen this before so I've learnt something.

 

[AirPo]

Actually, I'm glad AV asked. I've never seen this before so I've learnt something.

I agree, it was very cool. And Av graciously accecpted the answer.

 

[timewerx]

Are you sure?

It looks pretty miraculous to me... ball bouncing higher than it falls.

Nothing miraculous. It's plain and simple law of conservation of energy and law of conservation of momentum at work

It actually happens in a more natural environment. Observe a drippy faucet down a bucket of water. Sometimes, the splashes will actually fly higher than where it came from!

You cannot turn this concept into a perceptual motion machine because energy is conserved.

 

[[serious]]

Hi there!

So I got to thinking, and I was wondering if someone would explain this to me in English:

Suppose I place a tennis ball atop a basketball and climb to the top floor of the Taj Mahal in India and drop them onto the street below.

The basketball hits first and bounces a few feet in the air, but the tennis ball, atop the basketball, will rocket into the air like a firecracker.

Why is that?

Conservation of momentum.