soccer ball science experiment

Effect of Air Pressure on

Distance of a Soccer Ball

By: Ayumi Mizuno, Esther Zhao, Lauren "YO" Young, and STEPHANIE HUGS

Table of Contents .:.

Statement of Problem

Related Sites

Bibliography

Background .:. Top

Air is composed of a mixture of gases including oxygen, nitrogen carbon dioxide, argon, water vapor and small amounts of other various gases. These gases are made of tiny particles that are constantly moving. When the moving molecules come across objects, they exert force on objects known as air pressure. Since pressure is the amount of force per unit area, pressure is defined as P = F/A . Pressure is measured in the unit pascal (Pa), which is equal to the unit of N/m 2 . Air pressure is frequently measured in units of pounds per square inch, abbreviated as psi. Pressure is only measured by its magnitude since it is a scalar (Twicken).

In most sports, an inflated ball is a necessary component of the game. In soccer, international matches managed by FIFA require balls to have a pressure between 0.6 to 1.1 atmosphere at sea level, which is approximately 8.8 to 16.2 Psi (FIFA). The standard size of a soccer ball used in professional games is a size 5 ball with a diameter of 9 inches. Before each game, the quality of the ball is assessed by a referee to guarantee the ball has an appropriate amount of air pressure for playing (Tarwater).

            When a soccer ball rolls on a surface, there is friction between the surface and the surface of the ball, called rolling friction (Giancoli). Friction is calculated as F fr = μmg where μ is the coefficient of friction, which depends on the nature of two contacting surfaces. On an incline plane, there is a normal force acting perpendicular to the surface of the incline, a force of friction acting in the opposite direction of the motion of the moving object, and a force of gravity acting downward.

    In this experiment, a soccer ball with different pressures will be rolled off of an incline plane to see the effect of pressure on the distance the ball travels. An incline plane will be used to demonstrate an application of equal force for each trial.

Statement of the Problem .:. Top

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effect of air pressure inside a soccer ball on the distance it travels when an equal force if applied.

Hypothesis .:. Top

We believe that an increase in the air pressure inside a soccer ball will cause an increase in the distance it travels as well. This is because a ball with a high concentration of air pressure inside will exert a greater force on the surface of the ball, allowing the ball to deform less when in contact with the ground surface.

Method .:. Top

This experiment included a size 5 soccer ball, a pressure gauge, a ball pump, ball inflating needles, a wood board, a 3’ tape measure, and a chair or a bench. The experiment was also done on a turf field.

We conducted our experiment on a turf field. The wood board was laid against a bench at a fixed angle of 24 degrees with the surface of the ground throughout the entire experiment. To fill the soccer ball with air, we first injected the needle attached to the ball pump into the ball. We then inflated the soccer ball with the air pump by pushing down on the handles of the pump. When deflating the ball, we injected a needle into the ball and allowed air to move out of the ball. To determine the pressure, we injected a needle attached to a digital ball pressure gauge and read the pressure. When taking the needle of the pressure gauge out from the ball, we made sure to do so carefully, to prevent air from leaking out. The pressures tested were 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, 11.5, 14.5, and 17.5 psi. 

To collect data, we placed the ball on the top center of the incline made by the wooden board. We released the ball without pushing or adding any additional forward force. After the ball finished rolling and came to a complete stop, we measured the distance from the bottom of the incline to the center of the ball with a tape measure.

Results .:. Top

Data Table: Distance the Soccer Ball Traveled (m)(+/-0.05m)

Data file: Text .:. Excel

  Data file: Text .:. Excel

Conclusion .:. Top

As the pressure of the soccer ball increased, the distance the ball traveled increased as well. The ball with the greatest pressure of 17.5 psi had the greatest average distance of 7.8 m, while the ball with the lowest pressure of 3.0 psi had the lowest average distance of 6.8 m. This supports our hypothesis that an increase in the air pressure inside a soccer ball will cause an increase in the distance it travels as well.              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Related Sites   .:. Top

www.livestrong.com/article/431675-how-much-air-pressure-is-in-a-regulation-size-soccer-ball/   More information on soccer and the role of air               

pressure in soccer balls

http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-soccer.html   Information about the effect of kicking a soccer in terms of physics

www.fifa.com/development/education-and-technical/referees/laws-of-the-game.html Background information on soccer balls and regulations

www.soccerballworld.com/Physics-FAQ.htm Information on the physics related to soccer balls

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/straj.html Information on the aerodynamics of a soccer ball and the forces acting on it

Bibliography .:. Top

Giancoli, Douglas C.. "Fluids." Physics principles with applications. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:             Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005. 175. Print. Hirobe, Shusaku. "Robert Hooke, Hooke's Law & the Watch Spring." Robert Hooke. University of           Minnesota, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. "Laws of the Game." FIFA Quality Programme. FIFA, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

Tarwater, Jason. "How Much Air Pressure Is in a Regulation Size Soccer Ball?."LIVESTRONG.COM.         LIVESTRONG.COM, 17 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. Twicken, Joe. "Atmospheric Pressure."Atmospheric Pressure. Stanford University, 17 Nov. 1999. Web. 27         Oct. 2014.  

How does air pressure affect a soccer ball?

The pressure in the atmosphere will also affect how far the ball when kicked. The lower the pressure then the less friction there is for the ball to travel. -Air pressure determines the ball’s level of stiffness. Higher air pressure creates more energy, and allows the ball to keep its shape when it is kicked.

Table of Contents

How does the air pressure in a soccer ball affect the distance it travels?

The greater the air pressure in the ball, the farther it will travel when a force is applied.

What is the air pressure in ball used in football?

The NFL requires that all game footballs be inflated to a pressure between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch (psi), and that they weigh 14 to 15 ounces (397 to 425 grams), ESPN reported.

How does the air pressure in a ball affect its bounce?

With more air in the ball, the air starts at higher pressure and pushes back that much harder when the ball is bounced. So that short answer is that more inflated basketballs bounce better because they have more air pressure inside them.

What type of air is used in soccer balls?

Soccer balls are not filled with helium gas. Instead, they are pressurised with regular air that mainly consists of a combination of two elements called nitrogen and oxygen.

Why do soccer balls lose air?

Soccer balls lose air pressure over time firstly because the outer material construction is not air-tight, meaning that over a certain duration of time the air will gradually seep out. More so, air leakage occurs due to the presence and nature of the valve opening, which is used to inflate the ball in the first place.

How do you do pressure in soccer?

Does the amount of air in a football affect how far it goes?

Having an under-inflated ball also allows quarterbacks to throw the ball farther, Tompkins explained. When developing the grip for Baden’s footballs, the company’s R&D team found that by adjusting the RPM of a spiral from 5,400 to 7,200, it made a difference of four feet in distance traveled.

What affects the distance traveled by the ball?

The distance a baseball travels depends on two primary factors: the angle at which the ball leaves the bat, and how fast the ball is hit. The speed of the ball depends on both the speed of the pitch and the speed of the bat.

How much air do you put in a soccer ball?

What Are FIFA’s Regulations on Soccer Ball Pressure? According to FIFA, a regulation football must be 8.5PSI and 15.6PSI at sea level. This is quite a large range, but different leagues and associations have specific ball pressure guidelines.

How do you know if a soccer ball has enough air?

What pressure is a premier league ball?

Regulation size and weight for a soccer ball is a circumference of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) and a weight of between 410–450 g (14–16 oz). The ball should be inflated to a pressure of 0.6 and 1.1 bars (8.7 and 16.0 psi) at sea level.

Does the pressure in a ball affect height?

This is because having a greater air pressure means that there will be more molecules pressing and pushing against the bladder of the ball, thus, applying more force to to ball when it rebounds from the ground, and giving it a greater bounce height.

Why a ball filled with air feels hard?

Answer 1: A ball filled with air is basically a spring. Pushing the air molecules closer together (i.e., fully inflating the ball) makes the “spring” stiffer.

Why do harder balls bounce higher?

The more energy absorbed by the surface, the less that remains in the ball for it to bounce. This is why you should have seen that when you bounced the basketball on a relatively hard surface it bounced higher (it lost less energy) compared with when it was bounced on a softer surface (where it lost more energy).

What is the best air pressure for a soccer ball?

In its section on rules about “The Ball,” it states that they must be spherical and inflated to a pressure between 8.5 psi and 15.6 psi. When a soccer ball is inflated with less than 8.5 psi, it is more difficult to kick and send down the field and is considered too flat.

Are professional soccer balls filled with air?

Apparently some people still believe this strange myth, but no, balls used in professional soccer matches are not filled with buoyant helium instead of oxygen.

Which gas is used in balls?

ballons are filled with acetylene gas (ethYne) gas .

How long does the air in a soccer ball last?

Some balls use carbon-latex bladders in which the carbon powder helps to close the micro pores. Soccer balls with carbon latex bladders usually increase air retention to approximately one week.

Do balls deflate over time?

As with any ball which has air in it, the more times it is used, it is going to lose some air time. Whether it be a football, soccer ball, or even volleyball, they will eventually lose air over time.

How do you pump air into a soccer ball?

What is pressure cover balance in soccer?

Pressure, cover, balance refers to the responsibilities of the defender based on their. proximity to the ball. Formerly, the defenders were identified as the first, second, and. third defenders….

What is high pressure in football?

What Is High Pressing? High Pressing is a zonal defending mechanism in football that teams use to win possession of the ball near or inside the final/attacking third to score a goal on a fast attack. There are many terms associated with high pressing tactics.

How much air pressure should be in a size 4 soccer ball?

When pumping up a size 4 football Mitre recommend that they should be inflated to a pressure of 6-8 psi (0.42 – 0.56 bar) for training balls and 7-10 psi (0.49 – 0.70 bar) for match balls. A good quality football will have the recommended pressure stamped on the ball next to the inflation valve.

Which factors affect air pressure?

1)The 3 main factors that affect barometric (air) pressure are: Temperature. Altitude or Elevation. Moisture ow water vapour.

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9 Sports Science Activities for Kids

Many kids like sports, like soccer, basketball, swimming, track, biking, … With the Olympics in two months, I did a search on sports science activities and experiments for kids. I found a lot of cool ideas. I am sharing some that can be done at home. Hope you like them just like I do.

Fun Sports Science Activities for Kids

We try to include science for different sports and hope one of them will fit your child’s interest.

All kids probably have done the long jump at school. What can you do to jump farther? In this experiment, we will test out if you can increase jumping distance by increase running distance. You need to find a long jump pit and have a tape measure , sidewalk chalk . Let us know your answer to the question.

Many sports use balls, basketball, soccer ball, tennis ball, … All balls bounce. What makes a ball bounce higher ? If you don’t put in any force, just drop the ball, will the ball come back to the same height? Why? This is a good project for school-age kids. They can do it as a group project or a homeschool project. It is also a fun science fair project.

For younger kids, we found an easier version of the science experiment to answer the question of what makes a ball bounce . For this one, even preschool kids can do it.

Do you know someone who plays hockey? Try this hockey science activity answering the question of what slides best on ice . This is a fun activity for young children, like kindergarten age.

If you have kids who like swimming, and who are reasonably good at it, you can do this swimming science experiment and see why it is better to wear a swimsuit when swimming .

For those who play basketball, do you like to use bank shots? A bank shot is a shot that relies on the ball bouncing off the backboard and into the basket. Why and how does bank shot work? Let’s find out the answer through a science experiment .

Balancing is important in all sports. The key concept in balancing is the center of gravity. You can do a fun activity with kids to see the differences in the center of gravity and balancing skills between parents and kids.

Now it is time to do science with soccer. With soccer balls, how do you know it is the right air pressure for it? How to choose the best air pressure for the soccer ball ?

After science with balls, let’s try a swimming science project. We know ocean water is saltwater, and most swimming pool water is chlorine water. Which water is better? Does the water type impact swimming speed ? This is an interesting experiment design, and I hope you will do it, and I am so interested in knowing if you get the same result.

I hope you like these science experiment activities. Doing science at home is not just for fun, it is also to cultivate child’s interest in science and help them grow scientific thinking skills. Don’t just do it for fun, try to follow scientific steps while working with kids on these activities. Below, you will find the Science Experiment Recording Sheet that outlined the scientific experiment steps. I highly recommend following these steps for each activity, even with young children. They can draw pictures if they can’t write. It is the process that is important, starting with questions and hypotheses. To download the recording sheet, simply fill out your email below and click the “Please Send Free Experiment Recording Sheet” button.

For more science activities for kids, visit

11 Cool Backyard Science Activities for Kids

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For more sport activities for kids, you may also be interested in 50 Olympic Activities for Kids

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These are some great ideas for making learning fun for kids. It can help them to develop many essential skills. Thanks for sharing!

Very engaging! These are active puzzles children can solve. I am glad it is better to swim with a swim suit, lol. Thank you for these fun yet educational ideas. Carolyn

I love the swim suit one! We did it, my son had so much fun doing it.

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Sports Science Fair Project Ideas

Combine sports and science for a perfect science fair project

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Stay away from the typical, overdone science fair cliches. Instead, create something that combines sports and science for your science fair project. 

Ideas to Get You Started

• How does the material from which a baseball bat is made affect performance? How does a wood bat compare with an aluminum bat?
• Does altitude affect the height of a ball bounce (for example, a golf ball)? If an effect is seen, can you attribute it to gravity or atmospheric pressure?
• Examine the effect of energy bars on performance. Pick a sport. Is there a difference in performance if you use a protein-boosting energy bar versus a carbohydrate-boosting energy bar?
• What is the effect of using a corked baseball bat compared to a normal one?
• Does drinking an energy drink (or sports drink) affect reaction time? memory?
• Are there really streaks in baseball? Or is it simply chance?
• Compare energy drinks based on cost, taste, short-term effect, and long-term effect.
• Which sports drink contains the most electrolytes?
• How is a ball's diameter related to the time it takes to fall?
• Does the length of a golf club affect the distance you can hit the ball?
• Does a swim cap really reduce a swimmer's drag and increase speed?
• How does exercise affect heart rate? This project is especially good if you can track data over a longer time frame.
• Does exercise affect reaction time?
• Does regular exercise affect memory?
• At what slope angle is the mechanical advantage of a bicycle lost, as compared to running?
• Compare different brands of balls for a sport (like baseball or golf) for cost versus performance.
• Do helmets really protect against a crash? (Perform this test with a stimulant like a watermelon.)
• What is the best air pressure for a soccer ball?
• How does temperature affect the accuracy of a paintball shot?
• Does altitude, temperature, or humidity have an effect on the number of home runs hit at a baseball diamond?
• Does the presence or absence of a net affect free throw accuracy?
• Measure the effect on peripheral vision from wearing different types of corrective eyewear (such as glasses). Does an athlete experience a noticeable improvement when peripheral vision is increased?
• Is there an effect if you fill an inflatable ball with a different gas than air (such as nitrogen or helium)? You can measure the height of a bounce, weight, and effect on passing, as well as how long it stays inflated.

Tips for Choosing a Project

• If you are an athlete or trainer, pick the sport you know best. Can you identify any problems to be examined? A good science fair project answers a question or solves a problem.
• When you have an idea, consider how to design an experiment around it. You need data. Numerical data (numbers and measurements) are better than qualitative data (greater/lesser, better/worse), so design an experiment that gives you data you can graph and analyze.

Do you need more science fair project ideas? Here's  a big collection  to browse.

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Science Fair Ideas That Involve Sports

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Science fair projects that involve sports offer many possibilities. Like any science project, you will first determine your hypothesis, then collect, analyze data and summarize your findings. If you love a particular sport, incorporating it well into your school science fair could not only bring you a good grade, but the investigation could also improve your performance in the game.

Sport Equipment

Compare different brands and price ranges of balls. Do the more expensive ones perform better? Golf balls, footballs, soccer balls or baseballs can be the focus of this science fair project. Borrow equipment to keep the cost down while maintaining the integrity of the project.

Study how air pressure changes a ball. Show how pumping the football, soccer ball or basketball with air affects its performance.

Are dimples on a golf ball necessary? Take a golf ball apart and explore why they are designed the way they are. Same could be done with a baseball or softball.

What is the difference in performance between an aluminum bat and a wooden bat? Does a corked bat really make an impact?

Body Mechanics in Sports

Test how height is related to the speed of a person's walking pace. Can you determine the height of a person by just their pace? Use volunteers of varying size and age to create a chart that shows your findings.

Experiment with body mechanics in baseball by analyzing the reasons behind stance, swing or pitching style. Coaches often tell players to stand a certain way to get the most power. Break down the mechanics to see whether they are correct. How much does the way you stand affect the power behind your swing?

The martial arts offer a variety of possible science fair projects. Consider doing an experiment with kicks and velocity. Show how rotational momentum adds or reduces a kick's power. Illustrate the difference between kinetic energy and stored, potential energy in martial arts.

Study the muscles in the body that are used for a particular sport. Show how different body types perform in different sports.

Sports Nuttrition

Do energy drinks affect reaction time? Performance? Memory? Compare the different ingredients in energy or sports drinks. What do they claim in their advertising? Compare cost or nutrition. Can a homemade version of a sports drink offer the same performance boost? Can it pass a blind taste test?

Examine different brands of nutrition bars. Compare protein energy bars against carbohydrate energy bars by showing the short- and long-term effects of these products. Do they work best before or during a sporting event?

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Soccer headers briefly slow brain activity, UBC engineering study shows

Using the head to pass, shoot, or clear a ball is routine in soccer and does not typically lead to concussions. However, a new study from the University of British Columbia reveals that even mild heading has some measurable effects on the brain.

The study published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering revealed that impacts from heading the ball are followed by a momentary slowing of brain activity, producing brain waves that are more typically associated with sleep and drowsiness.

In the experiment, eight healthy adults performed controlled headers with a soccer ball, with   forces comparable to those typically seen during play. They wore electroencephalography (EEG) sensors and custom mouthguards that simultaneously tracked brain activity and head movement. 

The participants experienced brief but statistically significant increases in delta brain waves within moments of impact, said lead researcher Dr. Lyndia Wu , an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science who studies sports-related injuries . 

“Delta waves are low-frequency waves linked to drowsiness and sleep,” said Dr. Wu. “When this sleep-like delta activity occurs while awake, it may disrupt information processing and lead to lapses in attention. For athletes, this may translate to reduced focus following an impact.”

She noted the growing concern over the effects on the brain of repeated exposure to this type of milder head impact.

“This study is unique since it allowed us to measure what’s happening in the brain immediately after a head impact. There is increasing research on sub-concussive head impacts, but most studies have only been able to measure post-game or post-season effects, which would not help understand the effects of individual impacts and how they may be accumulating.”

The study also examined how the severity and direction of impacts influence brain activity. Stronger impacts resulted in greater increases in delta waves, while oblique impacts led to greater activity on the opposite side of the head.

Most participants' brain activity returned to normal quickly, indicating no long-term effects. However, some showed more pronounced changes, suggesting individual differences in brain response. 

“Understanding these changes in brain activity helps us assess how the brain responds to impacts and can inform future safety protocols and guidelines for sports,” Dr. Wu added.

These findings underscore the need for personalized safety measures and further research into how individuals react to impacts, particularly in sports with frequent head impacts such as soccer and football.

“This research advances our understanding of how mild head impacts affect brain function. It paves the way for further studies on repeated impacts and speaks to the importance of ongoing research to protect athletes' health,” said Dr. Wu. “Our future research may look into the effects of more frequent repeated impacts, and how the rest time between impacts may affect recovery.”

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