Oblique Bounce of a Rubber Ball

Measurements are presented on the oblique impact of a hollow rubber ball incident on a polished granite surface, and the results are compared with those for a solid rubber superball. The hollow ball had a much higher coefficient of sliding friction than the superball, resulting in significant differences in all bounce parameters, at all angles of incidence. The hollow ball gripped the surface at all observed angles of incidence, resulting in one or two reversals in the direction of the friction force during the impact. The friction force was measured directly, as was the rotation speed of the ball during the impact. The results show that the tangential coefficient of restitution of a ball depends on both the coefficient of sliding friction and the ratio of the tangential to the normal vibration frequency of the ball.