How does a basketballs bounce?

Answer 1

A Basketball is filled with compressed air - compressed by the pump used to inflate the ball. When a ball hits the ground, the air inside compresses a little more, momentarily, and the elastic (stretchy) properties of the basketball skin lets the ball flatten slightly at the bottom. Just as a rubber band 'snaps' back when you stretch and release it, so does a basketball when you compress it into the ground (bounce it!) The result of the ball stretching back to it's most comfortable shape (a sphere) is that it pushes off the ground it squashed into, thus propelling it in the opposite direction. ie UP. All these changes are so small and happen so quickly you probably won't be able to see it with your naked eye. Well, the basket ball is filled with air, that helps it bounce up when the force of its weight from gravity hits the other idle source the ground. There are really cool books about this type of stuff and scientific applications, either at the library or on line check them out, they are cool.

Answer 2

Balls bounce because they are deformed when they hit something and the rubber forces them back into a round shape which propels then off the surface they hit.

The more power in the rubbers' desire to maintain its shape vs the weight of the ball determines its bounce. the air pessure inside as some effect as well since by bedeformed it is no longer applying the same pressure at all points.