TESTING IF A PING PONG BALLS MASS AND BOUNCE ABILITY GETS
AFFECTED WHEN PING PONG BALLS ARE DIPPED IN DIFFERENT ACIDS AND
BASES FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME
Viraj S.
Cary Academy
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this experiment was to see if a ping pong balls mass and amount of
bounces gets affected when the ping pong ball is dipped in acids and base for 30
seconds. It was hypothesized that acids will affect the ping pong balls bounce more
than bases however bases will affect the ping pong balls mass more than acids. The
method is pour different acids and bases into the beakers. Take mass of the ping pong
ball and how many times it bounces. Put the ping pong ball in acid or base. After done
put them on the paper towel. Bounce it and get the mass. Repeat this until done. In the
experiment 3 acids and 2 bases were used. Before the ping pong balls were dipped in
different acids and bases it bounced 8 times and its mass was 2.25 grams. After it was
dipped in Karo for 30 seconds it went up to twelve bounces however its mass went
down by .15 grams to 2.1 grams. After it was dipped in disappearing ink which is a
serious base it went down to 7 bounces and went down .25 grams to 2 grams. With
pure vegetable oil which is an acid it went down to 5 bounces however the mass went
up to 2.7 grams. When dipped in Vinegar it stayed at 8 bounces however the mass went
up to 3.5 grams and when it was dipped in Ammonia for 30 seconds it went up to 9 and
the mass went to 3.55 grams.
INTRODUCTION TO ACIDS, BASES AND PING PONG BALLS
This experiment is about ping pong balls, acids, bases and neutrals. The purpose of this
experiment was to find out if different acids, bases, and neutrals affect the mass and
bounce ability of a ping pong ball. Will the ping pong ball bounce more or less after
being dipped in acids, bases and neutrals and will its mass increase, decrease or stay
the same.
Acids are a substance containing hydrogen that can break up into water. An acid is
also defined as a compound in which hydrogen is replaced by water. Acid comes from
the Latin word Acere which means sour. That is why acids often have a sour taste.
Acids can be strong enough to break down metals. Litmus paper is a common indicator
for acids and bases. When the paper turns red the substance is an acid, when the
paper turns blue the substance is a base and when the paper turns a color that is a mix
between red and blue it is a neutral substance. Acids are commonly found in food
products. Some common acids in foods are acetic acid in vinegar, lactic acid in milk and
citric acid in lemons. Bases are usually slippery and taste bitter.
Bases can be like acids and can be used in foods and at the same time in medicines.
Also bases can be used in manufacturing. pH is the range of numbers that show the
acidity or alkalinity of an acid or base. pH usually runs between the numbers 0 and 14.
The ping pong ball is completely hollow. A regular ping pong ball should be 40mm long.
It also must weigh 2.7 grams. In chemistry a chemical reaction is when two or more
molecules interact and they change. There are lots of ways to have a chemical reaction.
The first one is having a chemical change. To have a chemical change there must start
with one compound and change it in to another compound.
The White ping pong ball that has a mass of 2.25 grams and can bounce about 8 times
however after it was dipped in tap water it bounced only about 9 times and the mass
went up about .25 grams to 2.5 grams. The orange ping pong ball has also a mass of
2.25 grams but could bounce about 16 times however after dipped in ammonia bounced
7 times and its new mass was 2.9 g. The orange ping pong ball in water only bounced 9
times and weighed 2.7 grams. The white ping pong ball in ammonia went from 14
bounces down to 5 and weighed .5 grams more making it 2.75 grams.
Ammonia smells like mucous. looks like water and has no sound. Tap water smells
plain, looks clear and sounds like nothing but makes a swishing noise when shaken.
Ammonia has a pH of 10.97 which makes it a base. Vinegar is 2.27pH which is an acid.
Fiji Spring Water is 6.66 pH which is a neutral. Realime is 3.20 which is an acid.
Realime looks yellow, Smells like lime. And sounds like nothing Pure vegetable oil is
4.68 which is an acid. It looks like bright yellow. It smells like cucumbers. It sounds like
nothing. Karo is 4.38 pH which is an acid. Karo looks like oil or just a light yellow water.
It sounds like deep shaking. It smells like water or in other words nothing. Apple cider
vinegar is 4.25 which is an acid. It looks like honey, it smells like apples and it sounds
like nothing. Disappearing ink is 11.54 which is a base. Disappearing ink is blue very
dark blue, it smells like graphite. It sounds when you shake it like water moving however
it moves around more probably because it weighs less.
The hypothesis made was that acids will affect the ping pong balls bounce more than
bases. However bases will affect the ping pong balls mass more than acids. It was
hypothesized that acids will affect the bounce ability more because acids will affect the
bounce ability because after the mini test, acids affected the ping pong balls more than
bases. The other half of this hypothesized that bases will affect the mass more because
they are heavier.
MATERIALS & METHODS

Ammonia

Tap Water

Karo

Vinegar

Disappearing ink

Pure vegetable oil

Ping Pong Balls (white/orange)

Tongs

Beakers

Balance Scale

Napkins

Table

Gloves

Ruler

Hard Floor

Timer

Play Dough
The method is first get out the materials. Then pour different acids and bases into the
beakers. Take the mass of the ping pong ball and how many times it bounces before
stopping from 3 meters up in the air. Then take the tongs, lift the ping pong ball and put
it in an acid or base. Than take the ping pong balls out. Put them on the paper towel.
Dry them off. Bounce it again from 1 meter in the air. Then take the mass. Do this for all
acids and bases and record and compare results. The control of this experiment is the
Acids. The independent variable is the type of ping pong ball. The dependent variable is
to find out if different acids and bases affect the mass and bounce ability of a ping pong
ball. Some safety contents are if glass broke make sure other people stay away so
nobody gets hurt. Do not use and glassware and beakers that are already cracked. For
the different acids, neutrals and bases do not mix them without a teacher’s permission.
Always add an acid or base to water never add water to acids and bases. Always clean
up and wash hands after an experiment.
RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Table 1: How many bounces and Mass after dipped in different acids
The acid or base
Karo
Disappearing Ink
Pure Vegetable Oil
Regular Vinegar
Ammonia
Bounces after dipped
Mass after dipped
12
7
5
8
9
2.1
2
2.7
3.5
3.55
Figure 1: How many times the ping pong ball bounced and its mass after dipped in certain acids and bases for 30 seconds
The first experiment completed went fine. In the experiment 3 acids and 2 bases were
used. Before the ping pong balls were dipped in different acids and bases it bounced 8
times and its mass was 2.25 grams. After it was dipped in Karo for 30 seconds it went
up to twelve bounces however its mass went down by .15 grams to 2.1 grams. After it
was dipped in disappearing ink which is a serious base it went down to 7 bounces and
went down .25 grams to 2 grams. With pure vegetable oil which is an acid it went down
to 5 bounces however the mass went up to 2.7 grams which is a .45 gram increase.
When it was dipped in Vinegar it stayed at the same amount of bounces however the
mass went up 1.25 grams to 3.5 grams and when it was dipped in Ammonia for 30
seconds it went up 1 bounce to 9 and the largest increase in mass 1.3 grams to 3.55
grams.
Table 2: Results after dipped in acid or base for a minute
Acid or Base
Karo
Ammonia
Disappearing Ink
Vegetable Oil
Vinegar
Bounce after dipped
Mass after dipped
7
6
7
7
7
Figure 2: Bounces and Mass after dipped in acid or base for a minute
2.6
2.5
2.35
2.4
2.5
The purpose of the second experiment was to see if acids or bases affect the mass and
bounce ability of a ping pong ball when the ping pong ball is dipped in them for a minute.
Another purpose was to see if how much time it is dipped in the acids or bases affects
the mass or bounce ability. First get out the materials. Then pour the 3 acids and 2
bases into beakers and get the timer ready. Take the mass of the ping pong ball and
how many times it bounces before stopping from 3 meters up in the air. Put napkins out
to put the ping pong balls on afterwards. Drop the ping pong balls into the water. Wait 1
minute. Take the balls out and dry them. Then test the bounce ability and mass and
record results. Soak the ping pong balls in water so they go back to their regular
bounces and mass. Then repeat the experiment until done. Then clean up. The control
of this experiment was Vegetable Oil. The independent variables were the ping pong
balls. The dependent variable is how much acids and bases affect the mass and
amount of bounces.
In the experiment the same acids and bases were used as last time. For the acids they
were Karo, Vegetable Oil and Vinegar and for the Bases there was Ammonia and
Disappearing Ink. Before as last time the Ping Pong balls bounced 8 times and weighed
2.25 grams. After it was put in Karo for a minute the bounces went down to from eight
however the mass had a .35 gram increase to 2.6 grams. After a ping pong ball was put
in Disappearing ink for a minute the bounces went to 7 also however the mass
increased by .1 to 2.35 grams. After the ping pong ball was dipped in Vegetable Oil the
bounces went down by 1 to 7 however the mass went up .15 grams to 2.4 grams. After
the ping pong ball was dipped in Ammonia its bounces went down 2 to 6 however the
mass went up .25 grams to 2.5 grams. After the ping pong ball was dipped into Vinegar
its bounces went down one to 7 however its mass increased by also .25 to 2.5 grams.
Table 3: Results after dipped in acid or base for 2 minutes
Mass and bounces after dipped in acid
or base for 2 minutes
Acid or Base
Karo
Vegetable Oil
Ammonia
Disappearing Ink
Vinegar
Bounces after dipped
Mass after dipped
11
6
11
10
9
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
3.2
3
3
3
2.5
Bounces after dipped
Mass after dipped
Acid or base
Figure 3: Bounces and mass after dipped in acid or base for 2 minutes
To start the experiment, get out the materials. Then pour the different acids and bases
into the beakers and get the timer ready. Take the mass of the ping pong ball and how
many times it bounces before stopping from 3 meters up in the air. Put napkins out to
put the ping pong balls on afterwards. Drop the ping pong balls into the acids and bases
and wait 2 minutes. Take the balls out of the acid or bases and put them on the napkin.
Go and get the bounces and mass and then record results. Compare results and clean
up. The control is the acids. The independent variable is the different ping pong balls.
The dependent variable is the mass and bounces after dipped in acids and bases for 2
minute. The purpose of this experiment was to see if acids or bases affect a ping pong
balls mass and bounce ability and to see if time affects the mass and bounce ability also.
It was hypothesized that acid would affect the mass and bounce ability more than bases.
It was hypothesized that way because in the last 2 experiments acids have affected the
mass and bounce ability more.
In the third experiment also 3 acids and 2 bases were used. The acids were Karo,
Vegetable Oil, and Vinegar and the bases were ammonia and disappearing ink. This
experiment had the ping pong balls dipped in 100 milliliters of acids and bases in a
beaker for 2 minutes. Before dipped in acids and bases the ping pong ball bounced 8
times and its mass was 2.25 grams. After dipped in Karo’s amount of bounces went to
11, vegetable oil went to 6, ammonia went to 11, disappearing ink went to 10 and
vinegar just went up to 9. For the mass Karo went to 3 grams, Vegetable oil also went
up to 3 grams same with ammonia and disappearing ink however vinegar only went up
Mass and bounces after dipped in acid or
base for 2 minutes
to 2.5
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Bounces after dipped
Mass after dipped
Acid or base
Figure 2: Mass and bounces after dipped in acid or base for 2 minutes
CONCLUSIONS
The hypothesis for the first experiment was half right. It was hypothesized that acids
would affect the bounces more and bases would affect the mass more. Acids ended up
bringing both the bounces and mass more than bases so the hypothesis was half
correct. An inference to why the experiment turned out the way it did is that since acids
are edible they should be lighter so the bounces increase because they do not pull
down as much. For the reason that acids affected the ping pong balls mass more is
because that since bases are heavier they wipe off any product on top of the ping pong
ball making it lighter.
For the second experiment based on the first experiment acids were hypothesized to
affect mass and bounce ability more. That hypothesis was correct completely. An
inference to why the experiment turned out the way it did is because acids are lighter so
they make the ball lighter and bases might wipe off more material on top of the ping
pong ball so that it gets lighter.
In the third experiment based on the first and second experiment it was like the second
experiment hypothesized that acids would affect mass and bounce ability more. That
was like the second experiment the hypothesis was correct. An inference to why that
happened is because for the amount of bounces acids are lighter so they do not make
them as heavy as bases do and for the mass of the ping pong ball acids make them
heavier because they do not wipe off as many materials, liquid or dirt off of the ping
pong ball so that the ping pong ball does not get any lighter.
Some discoveries made are that one since Karo is very heavy and it sticks together
easier so the ping pong ball barely can go into the Karo when poured without being
pushed in. For all the acids and bases the ping pong ball always flows to the top instead
of staying down so you have to pour in more liquids and put them in a small beaker.
Some improvements that could be made on the experiment are, The amount of liquid
that is in the beaker cold be measured more precisely instead of pouring just about the
right amount. Also the amount of time the ping pong balls were in the beaker could be
more precise. The experiment should not have had many ping pong balls going at once
instead it should have had one at a time. Also using the same amount of acids and
bases and using neutral.
Future experiments could be dipping the ping pong balls into bigger amounts of acids
and bases and keeping them in there for a longer margin of time.
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