Ball Paths at the Hopscotch Court

A Question Beside the Numbered Squares

At a playground hopscotch court, a science club investigates how a ball moves after it leaves a person's hand. One member wonders whether a ball moving sideways can still be pulled toward the ground. Another wonders whether the pull stops when a ball travels upward. The club decides to collect evidence rather than choose an answer by voting.

On a calm morning, an adult places a large, soft mat on an empty part of the court. Everyone stays clear of the landing area. The adult uses one small foam ball and begins every trial with the ball's center 60 centimeters above the mat. A meter stick beside the mat provides a height scale. A camera records each path from the side.

The club changes how the ball begins moving. In the let-go trial, the adult opens a hand without pushing. In the sideways trial, the adult gives the ball a gentle push to the right. In the upward trial, the adult gives it a gentle push straight upward. The ball, starting height, mat, and camera position stay the same. Club members record the path and the highest height reached before the ball first touches the mat.

In the let-go trial, the ball travels toward the mat directly beneath its starting point. In the sideways trial, it follows a curved path that carries it both rightward and closer to the mat. It lands to the right of its starting point. In the upward trial, the ball rises, slows, briefly stops rising, and then returns to the mat. No one touches any ball between release and landing.

The club repeats each method three times and sees the same kinds of paths. The graph shows the highest height in one filmed trial of each method, including the starting height. It does not show the landing location or the whole path. Members must use both the video notes and the graph when they evaluate explanations.