A glass ball bounces higher than a rubber ball of the same size, providing it does not break. Surprised? You can certainly test it out for yourself, using a marble and a small rubber ball! Further, a steel ball will
A glass ball bounces higher than a rubber ball of the same size, providing it does not break. Surprised? You can certainly test it out for yourself, using a marble and a small rubber ball! Further, a steel ball will also bounce higher than a rubber ball. Yet, we don’t go around using ball bearings and marbles as balls because they can easily damage whatever they strike. To understand how it works, let’s start with bouncing…
Why Objects Bounce
Bouncing is a form of elastic collision between two objects. When you drop a ball, it will only bounce if it gets back the energy it imparted to the surface it hit. Many objects dissipate energy too readily to bounce well. You can gauge how well a material retains energy by striking it with a mallet or a spoon. Do you hear a ringing 