Final answer:
The energy stored in a rubber tennis ball that allows it to bounce is elastic energy, also known as elastic potential energy, which transforms into kinetic energy during bouncing. Some energy is lost to heat and sound, causing the ball to reach only 90% of its original height in an inelastic collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of energy stored in a rubber tennis ball that allows it to bounce is elastic energy. This is because when a tennis ball hits the ground, the rubber material compresses and then expands, which involves the storage and release of energy in the elastic materials it's made from. This energy is best described using the term elastic potential energy, which is a form of mechanical energy that is released when the material returns to its original shape after being deformed. This type of energy is critical in explaining why a tennis ball can bounce back to a significant height after being dropped, whereas a marble, which is not elastic, does not bounce as high. When a tennis ball does not return to its original height after bouncing, it's due to some of the elastic potential energy being converted to other forms of energy like sound and heat during the collision with the ground, resulting in an inelastic collision.