Another example of momentum transfer in elastic collisions.
Setting a tennis ball atop a basketball and dropping them together reveals that
the basketball can send the tennis ball flying upwards many times higher than normal.
Under gravity, the stacked tennis ball and basketball fall to the right, impacting the Earth .
(Think of gravity as directed to the right. Or: Rotate the figure in your mind 90 deg. clockwise.)
Relative masses used: tennis ball : basketball : Earth = 1 : 11 : 1,000,000
(note: basketball/tennis ball = 22oz/2oz = 11)
Thanks to Charles Crummer for suggesting this simulation.
Video demonstrations on the Web:
Gadsden State Community College - Physics & Astronomy Videos
Physics Support Specialist at Rutgers University