Mechanics · Interactive

Bouncing Ball on an Incline

Drop a ball onto a slope and it doesn't bounce straight back — it reflects about the surface, so every bounce kicks it further down the incline. Each impact keeps only a fraction of its energy, set by the coefficient of restitution, so the hops shrink as the ball walks down the ramp.

Ball Velocity Incline Side view · gravity pulls straight down

Setup

Incline angle θ 22°
Drop height h 1.60 m
Restitution e 0.75
hnext / h = e²
0.56
Height kept per bounce
bounces: 0 vne·vn

Playback

Try this: lower the restitution e and the ball dies out in just a few short hops; push it toward 0.95 (a superball) and it scatters far down the slope. Steepen the angle to see each bounce throw the ball further along the incline.