Final answer:
A larger coefficient of restitution indicates a ball will bounce higher because it has lost less energy during its collision with the ground compared to a ball with a smaller coefficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coefficient of restitution (c) is a measure that describes how elastic a collision is between two objects, such as a ball and the ground. When considering the bounce of a ball, a higher coefficient of restitution indicates that the ball will bounce higher, as it has lost less energy during the collision with the ground. Conversely, a ball with a lower coefficient will bounce lower, because it loses more energy and does not rebound as much. A coefficient of 1 signifies a perfectly elastic collision with no energy loss, whereas a coefficient of 0 would indicate a completely inelastic collision, where the ball does not bounce at all.
The coefficient of restitution can be calculated using the formula c = (h/H)¹/², where h is the bounce height and H is the drop height. Thus, for two balls dropped from the same height, the one with the larger coefficient will reach a higher bounce height.