why don't balls bounce as high during the second bounce as they do in the first?
The initial velocity of 1st bounce is
much higher and continues to get lower after each bounce.
The reason why balls don't bounce as high during the second bounce as they do in the first is because of various factors such as energy loss, deformation, and air resistance.
When a ball is dropped and bounces, it undergoes a collision with the ground. During this collision, a fraction of the ball's kinetic energy is lost due to various factors, such as heat and sound. This energy loss reduces the amount of energy available for the ball to bounce back up.
Additionally, when the ball hits the ground, it undergoes deformation. The ball compresses slightly upon impact, and this compression also absorbs some of its energy. As a result, the ball doesn't rebound with the same height as its initial drop.
Air resistance also plays a role in reducing the bounce height during subsequent bounces. As the ball moves through the air, the air molecules exert a resistance force on it, slowing it down. This resistance increases as the ball gains velocity during the first bounce, and this loss of velocity affects the height of the subsequent bounces.
To understand and quantify the exact behavior of bouncing balls, the concepts of elasticity, coefficient of restitution, and energy conservation can be applied. These concepts delve into the properties of the ball, the surface it bounces on, and the forces acting upon it.
In summary, the decrease in bounce height during subsequent bounces is primarily due to energy losses during the collision, deformation of the ball, and air resistance.