Final answer:
The loss of kinetic energy of a ball during a bounce is due to energy dissipation through heat, sound, and deformation of the ball and floor. No real-world bounce is perfectly elastic, so some energy is always lost, which explains why the ball only reaches 90% of its original height after each bounce. Therefore, the given statement is TRUE.
Step-by-step explanation:
The loss of kinetic energy of a rubber ball during a collision when it bounces off a hard floor can be explained by the concept of energy dissipation. Even though some bouncy materials like a Superball can come close, no bounce is perfectly elastic – meaning not all of the kinetic energy the ball has before it hits the ground is converted back into upward motion. Instead, a portion of that energy is converted into other forms, such as heat, or is absorbed by the ball and the floor during the impact.
When the ball impacts the ground, some of the energy is also used to deform the ball and the floor momentarily. Since this ball rebounds to 90% of its previous height, we can infer that 90% of the pontential energy at maximum height is retained after each bounce, with 10% being lost. This pattern of energy loss will continue with each subsequent bounce, resulting in decreasing rebound heights until the ball eventually comes to rest.