Bounce No Bounce Balls by Steve Spangler

Effect: 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.

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