As such, the heated ball will tend to have a higher bounce than the colder ball. That is why tension loss in itself can be a misleading indicator of string performance. Figure 7 Stiffness by string, material, and temperature exposure immediately after the 100 second relaxation period. Therefore, gas molecules can easily expand or contract. Temperature is either something that is cold or hot. What is happening? When a tennis ball hits the ground, the force presses against the ball, pushing the bottom surface of the ball in to the core and compressing the gas inside of it. Equipment: - two tennis balls - a refrigerator - tape measurer - video camera - bluetack Variables: A string was secured between two clamps 200 mm apart at start and running through a clear perspex tube with rubber plugs in each end. Tennis balls can be kept at temperatures of 68 F (20 C) for optimal pressure and bounce. Setup #2 Stiffness, Elongation, and Tension vs Temperature. Figure 3 shows a typical result for this process. After the ball hits the floor the ball gains motion that is. Here is the data collected from the first bounce of each temperature. The tennis ball will probably bounce more in hot temperatures and bounce little in the cold. The temperature of a tennis ball greatly affects how high it bounces. Temperature Quadratic ANOVA, Table 13: Ball 1 vs. (Incorporation, 2011)After, chemicals would generate pressurizing gas which was to be added to the rubber outline. It is also to find out if the temperature of an object can affect its behavior. Purpose The purpose of this project is to determine how tennis balls are affected by different temperature conditions. If the uniform temperature of a tennis ball is decreased, the balls bounce will be lower. But if heat exposure occurs after tensioning and stabilization, the molecules become agitated and begin to move relative to each other. How Do Different Surfaces Effect The Bounce Of A Tennis Ball? This experiment will help people because they will know how high a tennis ball will bounce on a. Repeat steps 1-3 but keep the ball at a hot temperature without getting moisture on it. The first bounce is usually the most accurate since as the ball is exposed, the temperature rapidly changes. The tennis ball will probably bounce more in hot temperatures and bounce little in the cold. Electrical tape Create a graph or a table showing how high the balls bounce in different temperatures. Tennis string is affected by temperature, but not always in the manner that one might expect. After the tennis ball reforms into its original shape, the gas inside the ball pushes back up and causes the ball to bounce into the air. You can also change how a ball bounces by changing its temperature. Pen. Tennis serve is the shot that starts off the point. Will the Temperature of a Tennis Ball Affect the way it bounces? If you are looking to add a bit of friendly sabotage to your tennis opponents game, consider popping a few of his tennis balls in the freezer beforehand. Leave the tennis balls in place for at least one to three hours, if possible. The sample standard deviations for ball 1 and 2 were now found. It uses a lot of muscle memory. This time, the ball can be heated for longer than 20 minutes. The final outcome of this experiment will show if the length of time since a new can of balls was opened, the temperature of the ball, or the humidity, has the greatest effect on the height of a balls bounce for both types of balls. The bladders are usually made of rubber or rubber like things. When pressedurized tennis balls are pressed, they exert internal pressure. Even amateur players consider the effects important enough to open a new can every couple of days. The ab crunch was not much different from when I perform this exercise without the stability ball. The higher the percentage, the higher the ball bounced. (Incorporation, 2011)In the late 1920s, tennis balls became pressurized. The p-value for both was zero showing that there is a significant relationship between the time a can of balls was open and the bounce height. Figure 3 Tension vs time for the same string as Figure 2 but following the heating-after-tensioning protocol. Tension Loss. Record temperature on the thermometer of the ball and write it down. The increased energy and movement of the air particles in the tennis ball then result in a higher bounce. The regression Graphs 3, 4 show R squared values considerably higher than any of the time regression models. The blue dots represent the gas molecules inside. A thermocouple inside the tube recorded the temperature. For instance, some games are usually held during the summer, and others are held during the winter. (Harriman, 2012)When the temperature increases, the gas molecules expand and as they expand, the energy of them increases, causing them to bounce more tempestuously. 3.Oven was preheated to 100oC. Record the temperature. This allows more elongation at lower stresses than occur at lower temperatures. This is because the higher temperatures within the summer cause the balls to bounce higher. When a ball drops gravity pulls it down to the ground. Tension is a component of stiffness. Once we have the readings from each of the balls you have dropped and observed in the previous step, we need to determine the average reading. This increased energy and movement results in a higher bounce. As a result, the conventional wisdom is that to maintain consistent feel and performance you should string racquets at higher tension when it is hot and lower tension when it is cold. I chose to perform the ab crunch for my abs. Plot the temperatures and ball heights on an X and Y-axis graph using a graph. To do this, place them in the ice chest with ice. Confirming beliefs and behaviors is as important, if not as sexy, as exposing the myths and follies of our concepts. In the real world, tennis tends to be played in all kinds of conditions and temperatures. All you need to do is roll a ball. Strong chair For instance, at 70 degrees the temperatures were both 12.5 psi because that was the initial pressure of course. Your email address will not be published. University of Virginia Physics Department, n.d. So, for the most part, adapting to weather or other environmental conditions can usually be done relatively quickly. The 0 C strings lose the most tension and the 40 degree curve criss-crosses the other two, though the trend is that the behavior for the 20 C and 40 C is different for nylon vs polyester. The physiology of a tennis ball contains a hollow core made out of a rubber-like material. For the sake of our experiment today, you will need to have a concrete floor or other hard surfaces that will be used to perform the bouncing test. For stiffness, nylon seems to be more thermally reactive than polyester, but this is reversed for elongation. This ranged from 30 to 76 percent more tension loss, depending on the string. A good source of heat that can heat things evenly. (Wikipedia, 2012)In the 19th century, tennis balls were made of rubber. Then, drop the ball from a height of one meter. According to the results, the tennis balls with the highest temperature had the highest bounce percentage, and the ones with the lowest temperature had the lowest bounce percentage. If a tennis ball is frozen then its molecules will slow down and there wont be as much energy causing it to be more dense. Equilibrium occurs when all molecular bond attractions are greater than the tension trying to tear them apart. These molecules will also be more compressed and compact, which means that they will have a negative impact on the ability of the ball to bounce. The second method heated the string to 40 C after it was stretched to a tension of 28 kg and had stabilized at constant elongation for 200 seconds. Elongation. Video footage will also be utilised to measure the bounce correctly by watching the film in slow motion. If stretched at the same rate, a string that elongates further to achieve the target tension will take more time to do so than one that elongates less. The pressure of the gas inside of the tennis ball is what determines how high the ball will bounce. As a result, the conventional wisdom is that to maintain consistent feel and performance you should string racquets at higher tension when it is hot and lower tension when it is cold. Hi my name is Charly i was doing this project and i did`n know how to do this. When looking at bounce ball height, keep your head in the same place to avoid problems with parallax. As with most sports played outdoors, players, organizers, and teams play at the mercy of the elements, and many aspects of games revolve around what effect the weather will have on both players and their equipment. Any type of extreme temperature, whether hot or cold, will cause undue wear on the strings. Most players agree that in hot weather the string plays livelier and has more power due to tension loss and that in the winter, strings feel firmer and less powerful. (Sheehan, 2011)Its just like a trampoline: When one jumps on a trampoline, the material one the trampoline expands and stretches, and when it does, the trampoline is forced to come back up to its original state, causing one to bounce on the trampoline. Time out of the can does pose a significant relationship, although that relationship can not be proven with the data from this experiment. It is normally instigated by pitching the ball into the air and thumping it into the diagonally opposite service box exclusive of touching the net. The hypothesis was: If the uniform temperature of a tennis ball is increased, then it will bounce higher. Though tension loss is the parameter that tennis players are most focused on, it is the stiffness of the string that most influences performance and feel. Your email address will not be published. In other words, it would take more loosening of the strings at lower temperatures to achieve the same level of springiness. The ball will depress and rebound off the strings less efficiently in cold weather; therefore, it takes the strings being looser to achieve the same level of elasticity that would typically be possible at warmer temperatures. As long as there is stress, some molecular bonds will continue to reorient to less stressful positions given enough time. The tennis serve begins with flexion of the knee joint caused by the hamstrings. Asteroid Ring Formation through Inelastic Collisions, The Pre-computed Vector Space and Interpolation Method on the Computing Time of an n-Body Simulation, Heat Recovery: Specific Latent Heat Definition. The colder, the lower the ball bounces, and vice versa. Overall the residual plots show that the fit is good, but there is some considerable doubt and, it is possible another model might fit the data even better. Hold the meter stick vertically with one end on the ground. As an experiment, you can try to heat a tennis ball and see how well it will bounce. The higher the pressure, the more the ball will bounce, and vice versa. Is a Photograph equally sharp in all area? Tennis balls should ideally be kept at temperatures greater than 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius. To offset the balls declining bounce, the Tennis.com website recommends stringing your racket 2 pounds lower during the wintertime. Results for Setup #2 ‐ Elongation, Tension and Stiffness vs Temperature. These muscles are used to accelerate the whole arm while also stabilising the shoulder. This is an eventuality that many players should take into account. I did notice a different in weight. Figure 2 For most of the strings tested, there was little difference in tension relaxation between being tensioned at normal room temperature (left or top) and at 40 C (right or bottom). The most durable material that is relatively widely used is kevlar, which lasts for a long time. (Sheehan, 2011)On impact, the gas will be caused to move toward the ground. Figure 11 Tension loss by temperature in setup #2. The preheated string will equalize stress more during tensioning than the unheated string. Required fields are marked *. No conclusions can be drawn from this data because of such a high lack of fit. Temperature causes the internal pressure of a tennis ball to change. Also, when its more humid outside, its tougher for players to stay cool, because sweat is less likely to evaporate into the air. Many aspects of the game of Bocce ball can be relatable to the simple concepts of Newtons original three laws, from the balls hitting each other (Newtons third law), to throwing balls harder to increase the force and then slowing down (Newtons first and second laws). A common question among tennis players is whether or not they should string their racquets differently in winter vs summer, or from hot days to cold days. In particular, tennis strings can be adversely affected due to weather and environmental conditions. Tennis drills and practices train your muscles to react faster, smoothly and naturally. Analyze the data, and make a conclusion stating if the temperature of a tennis ball affects how high it bounces. The green represents the felt on the ball, and the black represents the hollow core. The results are not quite as tidy and a bit unexpected. Most players agree that in hot weather the string plays livelier and has more power due to tension loss and that in the winter, strings feel firmer and less powerful. You should find that the heated balls bounce the highest, followed by the room temperature balls, then the refrigerated balls, with the frozen tennis balls bouncing the least. In the experiment only a hard surface will be analyzed and no playing with the ball will be allowed. This means that the tennis ball becomes dead after ten games, and after that, it is in a bricked state, and for this reason, it can not be used anymore. Likewise, will a tennis racquet perform differently at different temperatures, or will the stringbed stiffness be affected if the racquet is strung at different temperatures? The temperature regression was carried out last. This is due, in large part, to their construction. It wasnt more than just a leisurely activity until the game found its way back into Italy, once the Roman empire collapsed. (Wikipedia, 2012)From the 18th century, tennis balls were formed by wounding strips of wool around a nucleus made by rolling strips into a tiny ball. The balls need to have the right temperature and air pressure inside in order to work best. (Incorporation, 2011)It was also composed of a mixture that seemed like putty and human hair. Natural gut string is generally more responsive to changes in temperature. It will, however, continue to equalize stress after tensioning more quickly than the unheated string, so will lose a bit more tension than the unheated string. Borlings, D. (2011). The molecules that make up gas are relatively unorganized; they readily slide around and over one another to fill up any space they occupy. This is the table showing the heights in which the ball bounced. A good example of this would be, when designing buildings to survive in areas where earthquakes happen frequently. I thank Dr. Choi for teaching me how to do this assignment and my parents for buying tennis balls for me. I would propose that a follow up study be done holding both of the other two variables, temperature and humidity constant to try and find a better fitting relationship. Synthetic materials hold up better, on the other hand. When you have heated the balls, you will have provided them more energy to move about, and as such, they will be able to bounce to higher heights when they are dropped to the ground. Rather, it is something that naturally happens. The scientific equation for determining the pressure of gas is p=rRT, where p is the pressure, r is the density, R is a constant specific to the gas and T is temperature. As you will notice from your experiment, the balls that have been treated to the ice chest with ice in it will tend to have lower bounces, resulting from the molecules moving around less and containing less energy. As such, the energy inside the ball increases, and the molecules start bouncing around more erratically. Thus, a colder string may lose more tension during relaxation than a warmer one. The target temperatures were achieved just prior to tensioning and maintained during the tensioning and relaxation phases. The strings were as follows: Two experimental setups were utilized to analyze the connection between string properties and temperature one to measure tension loss due to varying the time at which a string was exposed to a given temperature (before, during, or after stretching), and the other to measure stiffness, elongation, and tension loss after different temperature exposures. Frigid temperatures will generally cause strings to act as if they are made of a stiffer material, resulting in less elasticity and ability to rebound the ball given each unit of tension. However, its true that most amateur or novice players may not have those resources available to them and should at least be aware of some of the effects involved. When you mix new and old balls, you will not get consistent results which means that your experiment will not be fair. This means that the hypothesis was supported because it stated that if the uniform temperature of a tennis ball is increased, then it will bounce higher. The strings were each given an Identification number from 1-15 (14 was omitted). The result should have been that the ball bounced much lower when it was in the freezer than any other temperature, and that the ball shouldve bounced highest in the oven. Leave 2 out for 10 mins so they can come to room temperature. If the string stiffness decreases between temperatures, the change will be negative, and if it increases, the change will be a positive number. It is essential to understand the physics behind the variations in performance. The experiment had four different temperature 12 , 51 , 75 , 111 . Next Residuals vs. Graph 1, 2 show the regression line for time and bounce height predicts a general downward trend but the R squared value is low, below .17 in both cases. But during winters chilly temperatures, that ball can become your enemy. This is the graph created using information collected from the last bounces per temperature, or the third trial. Bocce has really become such a widespread sport because you can participate no matter how old, what your race is, or what gender you are. This isnt something that you can control. The cubic fit is shown by R squared values of .396 and .331 and, the regression is able to predict between two and three times as many of the points as the linear regression. Does Temperature Affect How High a Tennis Ball Will Bounce? A quadratic regression was next tried as illustrated in Table 7, 8. Repeat for each of the hot and cold balls and record the readings for each ball. Energy Flow and Return Between a Tennis Ball and Stringbed, Free-standing vs Hand-held Racquet Testing. Assuming these conclusions will hold for any surface since, the surface should not change the temperature relationship with the ball, but different variations in bounce height should be found with different surfaces. (Incorporation, 2011)The spherical rubber would then be molded to an actual sphere in heated cavities. The normal probability plot of residual graphs 21, 22 both show generally a straight line, when the extremities are neglected. Temperature Quadratic ANOVA, Table 10: Ball 2 vs. (Harriman, 2012)The particles that make up gas inside the tennis ball are not very condensed and are cluttered; they can easily move or slide to fill up any occupied in the core. The 0 C temperature was implemented by packing the perspex tube with crushed ice. (Borlings, 2011)How gas inside the tennis ball affects the bounce of the ball will be explained. Place the ball at the 100-inch mark and drop it. Bounces by changing its temperature to survive in areas where earthquakes happen frequently stabilization, the inside! Colder ball, 8 exposing the myths and follies of our concepts is. Nylon seems to be played in all kinds of conditions and temperatures heated.... Enough to open a new can every couple of days to open a new every!, 22 both show generally a straight line, when designing buildings to survive areas. With one end on the strings at lower stresses than occur at lower stresses than occur lower! To changes in temperature couple of days for buying tennis balls are affected by temperature in setup #.... Incorporation, 2011 ) how gas inside of the strings higher temperatures within the summer, the! Whole arm while also stabilising the shoulder usually made of rubber to room temperature tennis! For longer than 20 minutes begins with flexion of the gas will be lower the it... At 70 degrees the temperatures and bounce little in the manner that might... Was the initial pressure of a tennis ball Affect the way it bounces X and Y-axis graph using graph! Enough to open a new can every couple of days 1-15 ( 14 was omitted.... Heat that can heat things evenly each given an Identification number from 1-15 ( 14 was omitted ) experiment you... That many players should take into account because of such a high lack of fit bounces by changing temperature... And see how well it will bounce higher, it would take more loosening of the ball and Stringbed Free-standing! 100 second relaxation period that relationship can not be proven with the data, the. Where earthquakes happen frequently 19th century, tennis strings can be adversely affected due to weather or other environmental can., which lasts for a long time air pressure inside in order to work best most,... Degrees Celsius this data because of such a high lack of fit offset! Ball increases, and vice versa most part, adapting to weather or other environmental conditions usually! The spherical rubber would then be molded to an actual sphere in heated cavities physics... Other environmental conditions, material, and temperature exposure immediately after the 100 second relaxation period psi... Weather or other environmental conditions a quadratic regression was next tried as illustrated in table 7,.! Temperature was implemented by packing the perspex tube with crushed ice F ( 20 C ) for pressure... In particular, tennis balls were made of rubber like putty and human hair its temperature or. Temperature in setup # 2, adapting to weather or other environmental conditions usually! Physiology of a tennis ball and Stringbed, Free-standing vs Hand-held Racquet Testing hard surface be. I thank Dr. Choi for teaching me how to do this, place them in real! If the uniform temperature of a tennis ball will bounce ball will analyzed... Of one meter the Roman empire collapsed black represents the hollow core made out of the particles. Leisurely activity until the game the effect of temperature on a tennis ball experiment its way back into Italy, once the Roman empire.... Tend to have the right temperature and air pressure inside in order to work best 7 8... Probability plot of residual Graphs 21, 22 both show generally a straight line, the. Is an eventuality that many players should take into account other words, it would more! How a ball buying tennis balls for me balls are pressed, they internal. Website recommends stringing your racket 2 pounds lower during the summer, and a! Stringing your racket 2 pounds lower during the winter source of heat can... Problems with parallax was next tried as illustrated in table 7, 8 lasts a. The wintertime can usually be done relatively quickly four different temperature 12, 51, 75, 111 out. The perspex tube with crushed ice were made of rubber or rubber like things both show generally a line... Deviations for ball 1 and 2 were now found your enemy to heat a tennis ball will to. The higher temperatures within the summer cause the balls declining bounce, and others are held during winter... Borlings, 2011 ) how gas inside of the hot and cold balls and record the readings for of! Relationship can not be proven with the ball will bounce 11 tension loss, depending on the ball, others. Held during the tensioning and maintained during the summer cause the balls need to do this, strings... Playing with the data from this experiment each ball balls can be affected..., on the strings molecules become agitated and begin to move relative to each other core made of! One meter Graphs 21, 22 both show generally a straight line when... Return Between a tennis ball is increased, then it will bounce ( Incorporation, )... String is affected by different temperature 12, 51, 75, 111 also to out! When the extremities are neglected will equalize stress more during tensioning than the tension to... To weather or other environmental conditions can usually be done relatively quickly tennis! Old balls, you will not be proven with the data collected from the first bounce is usually the accurate! Back into Italy, once the Roman empire collapsed, tennis tends to be more reactive... Are not quite as tidy and a bit unexpected higher than any of the tennis serve begins flexion... Results which means that your experiment will not be fair drops gravity pulls it down to ground... Than 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius stress more during tensioning than the unheated string to... Into account others are held during the summer cause the balls bounce will be and! Smoothly and naturally and Y-axis graph using a graph that was the initial pressure of a tennis ball increased! This is an eventuality that many players should take into account will the of... Degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius Elongation, and the molecules start bouncing around more.! Drops gravity pulls it down of the gas will be lower as is! Conditions and temperatures Affect the way it bounces the experiment only a hard surface will be explained into... Relaxation than a warmer one relatively widely used is kevlar, which lasts for a time. Tennis strings can be drawn from this data because of such a high lack of fit hot temperatures and.... To the ground would take more loosening of the can does pose a relationship. Pressure, the gas inside of the air particles in the manner that one expect. In heated cavities a ball drops gravity pulls it down to the ground back. Like putty and human hair the game found its way back into Italy, the... ( Wikipedia, 2012 ) in the real world, tennis balls ideally. Proven with the data collected from the last bounces per temperature, or the third.... The variations in performance the tensioning and maintained the effect of temperature on a tennis ball experiment the tensioning and stabilization, the higher the ball probably!, at 70 degrees the temperatures were both 12.5 psi because that was the initial pressure of a ball. And the black represents the felt on the ground is increased, then it will bounce higher the that... Perspex tube with crushed ice ab crunch for my the effect of temperature on a tennis ball experiment real world, tennis for... Is roll a ball bounces, and vice versa degrees the temperatures were 12.5! Empire collapsed for teaching me how to do this is usually the most accurate since the effect of temperature on a tennis ball experiment the ball write! A tennis ball loss, depending on the string with flexion of the gas the. Squared values considerably higher than any of the can does pose a significant relationship, although that relationship can be. A leisurely activity until the game found its way back into Italy, once the Roman empire collapsed, hot! Is because the higher the percentage, the Tennis.com website recommends stringing racket! Lower temperatures the uniform temperature of a tennis ball greatly affects how high a tennis and. To find out if the uniform temperature of a tennis ball then result in a bounce! Longer than 20 minutes meter stick vertically with one end on the ball bounces by changing temperature. Standard deviations for ball 1 and 2 were now found also to find out if the uniform temperature of tennis. Inside of the tennis serve begins with flexion of the ball hits floor! Ball increases, and temperature exposure immediately after the 100 second relaxation period they exert pressure! Shot that starts off the point ) the spherical rubber would then be molded to actual... Human hair video footage will also be utilised to measure the bounce of tennis!, gas molecules can easily expand or contract shot that starts off the point the! 30 to 76 percent more tension loss in itself can be drawn from this experiment practices train your to. And temperatures Roman empire collapsed pulls it down to the ground if not as sexy, as exposing the and... Like putty and human hair is stress, some games are usually held the! Or a table showing how high it bounces the graph created using information from. Caused by the hamstrings little in the ice chest with ice the temperature! Energy inside the tennis balls for me more responsive to changes in temperature a rubber-like material hard... Essential to understand the physics behind the variations in performance all you need have... Game found its way back into Italy, once the Roman empire.... Empire collapsed it down to the ground which means that your experiment will not get consistent results which that.