Will a ball of glass really bounce more than a ball of rubber?

Question

I am almost certain this is incorrect. This was my fact under the Snapple cap today and amazed me, unless I am missing something essential in phyics of elasticity...How could this be?

Yes, I do know that metal and glass are more elastic but through experiment does it really?

Answer 1

The trouble with bouncing a glass ball is that it may break instead of bounce. But if it doesn't break, it should bounce more than rubber, because the rubber ball loses energy in the process of being compressed and expanding again, which is how rubber bounces. Glass, since it doesn't compress, will bounce back with nearly full force.

Answer 2

Did u know that the more stretchy things like rubber are actually even less elastic than steel?
Steel, glass, concrete are some very elastic materials, even tho this sounds unbelievable

A material is said to be elastic if it deforms under stress and regains its old shape when the stress is removed

Following this def., glass is more elastic than rubber
However there is the practical problem that most glass balls are not nearly strong enough to withstand the impact

but theoretically, the glass does bounce higher

Answer 3

Yes. Unless the glass fractures, it will bounce higher than a ball of rubber of the same size. Glass has more mass and the impact is NOT absorbed by that mass unless, again, the glass shatters. It is instead bounced back with appropriate results.

Answer 4

are you nuts?! how could a round glass bounce? try bouncing a marble if it bounces...bouncing balls are made of rubber so that they can bounce.

when the ball bounces on the floor, air pressure inside the ball becomes unstable.. the part of the ball where it was not hit pushes the air downward to part of the ball where it was hit, and because the ball is enclosed their is no room for the pushed air to go, so it goes back to the part of the ball where it came from on the top...so the ball launches again upward...and it will bounce unitl its kinetic energy subsides...that is why the more downward force you bounce on the floor the higher it goes...

Answer 5

Yes - try it with a marble (smaller glass balls are less likely to shatter when dropped).

You can also try it with a ball bearing.

The key is that you have to have a very hard, solid incompresible floor to bounce it off....carpeting or even linoleum will not work as well.

Answer 6

It can't be. Rubber is more bouncy then grass. But depends where you bounce it, on wooden floor, grass, concrete floor or on the road.

Answer 7

is it on a rubber floor?

Answer 8

If it doesn't shatter.