
Tennis Ball Speed on Different Courts
Hard
Why are some tennis courts called faster than others? You test three court surfaces: clay, grass, and asphalt. Three experienced players bounce a tennis ball against each surface using identical racquets. You count how many bounces happen in one minute.
Each player repeats the test five times per surface. The asphalt court produces the highest bounce count for all three players. Clay produces the fewest bounces.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that a tennis ball will bounce fastest on an asphalt tennis court surface.
Method & Materials
You will test three experienced tennis players on three different court surfaces: clay, grass, and asphalt. You will measure the speed of the ball by counting the number of times it bounces off the court surface in one minute.
You will need three experienced tennis players, three tennis balls, three tennis racquets, a stopwatch, an assistant, a clay tennis court, a grass tennis court, and an asphalt tennis court.
Results
The results of the experiment showed that the number of times the tennis ball bounced off the surface was the highest on the asphalt court. This proves that the hypothesis that a tennis ball will bounce fastest on an asphalt tennis court surface is correct.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it tests the speed of a tennis ball on three different court surfaces, and it can help players understand which court surface is best for their style of play.
Also Consider
Consider repeating the experiment with a different kind of ball, such as a basketball. Also, try repeating the experiment in different weather conditions, such as on a hot afternoon, early morning, or after a rainy day.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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