Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm doing my science fair project on how varying the temperature of a football affects the distance that the football travels and I need to build a kicking machine for it. The problem is I don't know how to do so and all I can find on the Internet are the materials used and evidence it works, not step-by-step procedure to building it. My research plan is due tomorrow and my teacher would like for me to create procedures for building it so if someone can help me by giving me some steps or links to find procedures today, that will be very helpful. If not, I would appreciate someone helping me before the project is actually due in February. And for those who see this, may you have a blessed day/night

Hello CRodgers10,

I'm sorry that this response comes after the 29th but I can certainly help with an idea or two.

Your project sounds tricky but fun. The controls on the football's temperature will be difficult because after you heat or cool the football it will quickly return to room / ambient temperature. (I'm assuming that you'll collect in a location where the temperature changes little.) Another approach is to vary the pressure of the football.

When starting an experiment, it's best to start simple and prove your concepts. For example, a simple kicking machine could be a weight hanging on a rope. Pull back the weight to a fixed position, let it go and it will swing down and hit the football, simulating a "kick" of constant force.

A quick sketch:



In varying temperature you'll be examining both the elasticity of the ball's exterior and change in internal pressure, sounds like a nice experiment.

-John