Bouncy Rubber Tennis Balls

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
i am doing a physics presentation and need to know why rubber is used in tennis balls? thanks
- omar
leeds, yorkshire, UK
A:
Omar -

This one is simpler than you may think... Rubber is used in tennis balls because it’s bouncy. If you’ve ever played with a bit of rubber, you almost certainly noticed that it’s bendy. If you drop it and it hits the floor, it gives a little. Then it pops back out to its normal shape, pushing the ball into the air. So being made with rubber helps tennis balls to bounce. There are other things that contribute to making tennis balls bounce, but this is one of the big ones.

-Tamara

(published on 10/22/2007)

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