As the summer arrives, the warm weather beckons children outdoors. In-between ball games and sporting events, do they have time to learn about the math and science of sports? Lab manuals from Schottenbauer Publishing make it easier than ever to learn about sport science.
For instance, consider the new series The Science of Baseball. The following graphs teach children about several aspects of baseball science. What can be learned from each graph?
Corresponding to the theme of the science lab manual series, Bounce, Roll, & Fly: The Science of Balls, a new, free YouTube video from Schottenbauer Publishing contains footage of 23 balls bouncing.
The balls, in order shown in the video, include: Dodgeball, Kickball, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Official Baseball, Safety Baseball, Plastic Baseball, Tennis, Cricket, Racquetball, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, High Density Street Hockey, Low Density Street Hockey, Official Golf, Foam Golf, Plastic Golf, Ping Pong, Football, Rugby, and Hackeysack.
Discussion Questions for the Video
- From how high, approximately, are the balls dropped?
- From a visual estimate, which is the largest ball? How large is the ball, approximately?
- Use a stopwatch to time the length of bouncing for each ball. Which ball bounces the longest amount of time? The shortest amount of time?
- How far do the balls rebound each time? Is there a ratio to describe the decrease in ball height for each bounce?
- What features of the ball determine the ball's performance during bouncing? How do these features relate to the sport?
This video is part of a 3-part series, consisting of individual videos with balls bouncing, rolling and flying. Students can view these videos in conjunction with science lab manuals from Schottenbauer Publishing.
Update (2/26/2015)! The Science of Balls: Sampler Edition and its German translation, are now available! Corresponding directly to the three YouTube videos listed above, this book contains graphs of 24 sport balls as they bounce, roll, and fly through the air.
