This paper presents an experimental and theoretical study of the dynam
ics of a conducting ball in a poorly conducting liquid subjected to an
electric field. When the applied voltage is constant the ball bounces
regularly on the lower electrode. If an AC voltage is superimposed, w
ith a period equal to the unperturbed time between impacts, the ball u
ndergoes a period-doubling bifurcation when increasing the amplitude o
f the AC signal. The non-linear map which describes the dynamics of th
e ball is closely related to the standard map and to the classical pro
blem of a bouncing ball on a moving table.