Determination of the probabilistic characteristics of the coefficient of restitution, with an application of acoustic measurements

During collisions of bodies a part of the kinetic energy is scattered due to: internal vibrations, plastic strains, crushing of contaminations or surface defects. The remaining part is returned by an elastic interaction of bodies. A coefficient of restitution, understood as the ratio of instant impulses of the second and first collision phase, is used for the collision description. The probabilistic characteristics of the coefficient of restitution are presented in the hereby paper on the basis of experimental data. The experiment was based on recording sound signals emitted when the steel ball struck the plate. Numerous measurements allowed to determine the expected value of the coefficient of restitution and its standard deviation in dependence on the energy flux density during the collision.