- The two balls look the same but behave very differently
- Demonstrate the properties of potential and kinetic energy
- Hands on energy experiment
SKU: WBNB-125
Make Physics Fun with No Bounce Balls
Product Description
When you open the Bounce No Bounce balls, you may think you’ve been duped or tricked… like we’ve played a mean trick on you. Two black rubber balls look and feel the same, but try bouncing them. One rebounds in a most lively manner while the other ball is as bounceless as a piece of clay. It’s not a trick – the balls are made out of two different types of rubber. One ball is elastic, which bounces back. The other ball, however, is inelastic and lies lazily on the floor. Use the Bounce No Bounce Balls to demonstrate and explore the properties of potential and kinetic energy. Ages 8 and up.
What’s Included?
- One black 20mm Bounce Ball
- One black 20mm No Bounce Ball
- Activity guide
How Does It Work?
While the Bounce No Bounce Balls look similar, their difference lies in their composition. The Bounce Ball is made of a rubber that has spaces in between its molecules. When the Bounce Ball hits the floor, the molecules compress and rapidly decompress creating a spring reaction. The No Bounce Ball is made of a rubber with smaller or nonexistent spaces between its molecules. That means when the No Bounce Ball hits the floor it will compress very little or not at all.
What Does It Teach?
The Bounce No Bounce Ball demonstration is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on demonstration into molecules and their composition, but the possibilities don’t stop there. Bounce No Bounce Balls demonstrate effects of temperature on rubber, potential energy, and conservation of energy and make a great critical thinking tool.
Understanding Energy in the Physical World
Children understand physics and concepts related to energy a lot better when they have the opportunity to develop an intuitive appreciation of how energy behaves in the physical world. The Bounce – No Bounce Balls experiment kit from Steve Spangler Science gives them this kind of opportunity because they can see how the inner molecular structure of two balls affects their energy and physical behavior. When children see the identical-looking balls and then observe that one ball bounces and the other one does not, they will not soon forget the lesson that is being taught. The Bounce Ball, made of a rubber that is less dense, bounces, but the No Bounce Ball, made of a denser rubber, does not. After doing this experiment, children of age 8 and up will look at the world differently, asking themselves how the molecular structure of objects affects their physical behavior.
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Steve Spangler Science
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7901 Southpark Plaza, Suite 106
Littleton, CO 80120
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Question
Lew Pulley –
How big are they?
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Staff lisabrooks –
They are 3/4 of an inch in diameter.
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Question
Jang –
Can i know the friction coefficient of this ball?
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Staff lisabrooks –
Unfortunately, we do not have this information.
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April Oaks –
Interesting to why one bounces and one doesn’t.
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Question
Mr. Mobnennil –
What is the difference in the mass between the two balls?
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Lisa – Customer Service Manager –
The secret is in the type of material used to make the balls. The ball that bounces is made out of a natural rubber that is highly resilient and very elastic – it’s great for bouncing. The “no bounce” ball is made out of a special type of rubber (usually butyl rubber) that absorbs the kinetic energy of the falling ball instead of changing it into potential energy.
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