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Why does a basketball not bounce as high when the weather turns cold?

Why does a basketball not bounce as high when the weather turns cold?

Pressure is directly related to how high a ball bounces. Higher pressure equals higher bounces, lower pressure equals lower bounces. If you play indoors, it is unlikely that the temperature will change enough to affect the ball’s bounce.

Is it bad to leave a basketball in the cold?

Rain or shine, hot or cold, neither indoor or outdoor basketballs should be left outside in extreme conditions. Any type of wetness can ruin the quality of your ball and make it lose its grip. Severe temperatures can also warp the shape of your ball and affect performance.

How does a basketball shrink in the cold?

The pressure inside a basketball decreases as the temperature decreases. According to Boyle’s Law, the pressure of the gas inside increases. The increased pressure causes the ball to expand and bounce into the air. On a cold day, the pressure inside the basketball decreases (Gay-Lussac’s Law).

How do you tell if your basketball is properly inflated?

If you don’t have a pump with a air pressure gauge, you can reasonably judge whether the basketball is properly inflated by this method: Hold the ball in front of your face and drop it… if it bounces up to your belt buckle, then it is properly inflated.

What happens to a basketball on a cold day?

The pressure inside a basketball decreases as the temperature decreases. The increased pressure causes the ball to expand and bounce into the air. On a cold day, the pressure inside the basketball decreases (Gay-Lussac’s Law).

Is it cold when a basketball is left outside?

Transcribed image text: When a basketball is left outside in the cold it goes blat because the volume of air inside the ball has been reduced.

How does the temperature of a basketball affect the bounce?

For example: a ball inflated to 8.5 pounds of pressure at 75 degrees F will drop to 7.37 pounds of pressure if the temperature is lowered to 65 degrees F. Pressure is directly related to how high a ball bounces. Higher pressure equals higher bounces, lower pressure equals lower bounces.

What happens to a basketball if it is not inflated?

If a ball is not inflated fully, it will bounce low and erratically. On the other hand, excessively over-inflating a ball might break the bladder and cause leaks, negatively impacting the consistency of the ball’s bounce.

Why is a hot ball more bouncier than a cold ball?

A ball that has higher air pressure in it will not squish as much during the collision, and so less energy will be lost. A hot ball will usually have more air pressure in it than the same ball, colder (unless it’s leaky), because air likes to expand when hot. That’s one reason it’s bouncier.

What happens to a basketball if you leave it outside?

When the air temperature decreases, so does ball pressure. If you leave your ball outside on a cold night or in the hot trunk of your car, chances are the pressure inside and the resulting bounce will be affected. According to NBA rules, the pressure inside a basketball must be between 7.5 and 8.5 lbs.