Happy Ball, Sad Ball

The two balls in this movie look, but do not behave, in the same way. When dropped, the "happy" ball will bounce while the "sad" one will not. This is because the "happy" ball is made of neoprene, an elastic polymer, and the "sad" ball is made of polynorborene, a polymer material designed to absorb energy. The polynorborene ball absorbs the impact when it hits a surface, causing it to "drop like a stone." Materials like polynorborene could be used in athletic shoes to absorb energy during running or jumping, preventing shock to the foot or leg.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• neoprene
• polymer
• polynorborene
• shock absorbing
• materials science
• demonstration
• education
• maryland

[TheDaveWall]

Good for a first effort. The idea was to show class interaction.