Question

What are the various forms of enegy conversion which take place when a ball is dropped from a height? Lets consider real scenarios with air drag and friction

Answer 1

When the ball bounces back up from the ground its elastic potential energy is converted back into kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy as the ball resumes its original shape. A ball that is dropped (not thrown) ​never​ bounces back up to the original height, and will rise less with each bounce.

OR

When a ball hits the floor, most of its kinetic energy is converted in a form of potential energy call

elastic potential energy​. This is energy that is stored in the ball as its shape is changed by hitting

the floor. The part of the kinetic that is not​converted into elastic potential energy is changed into

sound energy (the thump you hear), a small increase in the heat of the ball and the ground, and

heating the air molecules as the ball falls through it.

When the ball bounces back up from the ground its elastic potential energy is converted back into

kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy as the ball resumes its original shape. A ball that is

dropped (not thrown) never​bounces back up to the original height, and will rise less with each

bounce. This is because each time it strikes the floor some of its kinetic energy is converted into

non­useable heat and sound energy. Some balls, however, are more efficient in how they store and

release their elastic potential energy than others. You can estimate that efficiency by measuring the

height of the ball’s rebound and calculating what percentage it is of the original height from which the

ball was dropped. The more efficiently a ball stores and converts elastic potential energy back into

kinetic energy, the higher the ball bounces!