Education Technology


Sequence of Bounces

Activity Overview

In this activity, students will explore the rebound heights of a ball and develop a sequence that will predict the rebound height of subsequent bounces. They will also find the total distance that the ball travels.

Before the Activity

  • Connect the calculator to the CBR 2™
  • Install the TI Connect™ software to analyze data on the computer
  • See the attached PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity
  • Print pages 61 - 66 from the attached PDF file for your class
  • During the Activity

    Distribute the pages to your class.

    Follow the Activity procedures:

  • Run the Ranger program on the calculator
  • Release the ball beneath the CBR and sketch a plot of the Distance versus Time data
  • Record the height for 5 bounces and use lists to create a scatter plot
  • Model the heights of each bounce in terms of a geometric sequence, and graph the resulting equation
  • Write an exponential function that fits the given data, and graph it
  • Calculate the sum of the total distance traveled by the ball for the first five bounces
  • After the Activity

    Students will complete the Data sheet and answer questions listed in it.

    Review student results:

  • As a class, discuss questions that appeared to be more challenging
  • Re-teach concepts as necessary