Learning STEM From Basketball: Why Does a Basketball Bounce? And Other Amazing Answers for Kids!
Chapter One The Spectacular Science of the Sport Why does a basketball bounce Imagine trying to dribble a basketball that hasn’t been inflated Not much bounce right Basketballs bounce because they are filled with pressurized air and made with elastic materials Air is made up of constantly moving molecules Although we can’t see them they are busy vibrating bumping into each other and everything around them Air pressure is the weight 11
Cold Hot Air Air of these molecules pressing against their surroundings More molecules in a given space create higher air pressure Less molecules in the same space create lower air pressure When a basketball hits the court floor it pushes on the wood and the wood pushes back The bottom of the ball flattens flattens slightly The air molecules inside the ball are squeezed into a smaller area The crowded molecules respond by pushing pushing back out As they move apart the ball returns to its round shape Like a spring this action pushes the ball back upward in a bounce 1 Air pressure is measured by pounds per square inch PSI National Basketball Association NBA rules call for basketballs basketballs to be inflated between 7 5 and 8 5 PSI 2 This amount of air pressure gives the ball just the right amount of bounce Temperature Air molecules expand and speed up as they warm Their energy increases When cold they contract and slow down This is why a warm ball will bounce higher than a cold one 3 Credit Fred Ventura 2 LEARNING STEM FROM BASKETBALL
The SpecTacular Science of The SporT Why do players jump when they shoot Stephen Curry is one of the best shooters in the NBA 4 But how does this point guard for the Golden State Warriors do it 5 3
