Super Dx Ball Portable 31
Kathryn Garivay
A Super Ball or Superball is a toy bouncy ball based on a type of synthetic rubber invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley. It is an extremely elastic ball made of Zectron,[1] which contains the synthetic polymer polybutadiene as well as hydrated silica, zinc oxide, stearic acid, and other ingredients.[2] This compound is vulcanized with sulfur at a temperature of 165 C (329 F) and formed at a pressure of 3,500 psi (24 MPa). The resulting Super Ball has a very high coefficient of restitution,[3][4][5] and if dropped from shoulder level on a hard surface, a Super Ball bounces nearly all the way back; thrown down onto a hard surface by an average adult, it can fly over a three-story building.
Stingley sought uses for his polybutadiene synthetic rubber, as well as someone to manufacture it. He first offered his invention to the Bettis Rubber Company, for whom he worked at the time,[6] but they turned it down because the material was not very durable.[7] So Stingley took it to toy company Wham-O; they worked on developing a more durable version which they still manufacture today.[8][9]
Super Ball became a fad when it was introduced.[11] Peak production reached over 170,000 Super Balls per day.[12] By December 1965, over six million had been sold, and U.S. presidential adviser McGeorge Bundy had five dozen shipped to the White House for the amusement of the staff.[1][12][13][14] Wham-O executive vice-president Richard P. Knerr knew that fads are short-lived. "Each Super Ball bounce is 92% as high as the last," he once said. "If our sales don't come down any faster than that, we've got it made."[14] Initially, the full-sized Super Ball sold for 98 at retail; by the end of 1966, its colorful miniature versions sold for as little as 10 in vending machines.[15]
In the late 1960s, Wham-O made a giant Super Ball roughly the size of a bowling ball as a promotional stunt.[8][9] It fell from the 23rd story window (some reports say the roof) of an Australian hotel and destroyed a parked convertible car on the second bounce.[8][9]
Composer Alcides Lanza purchased several Super Balls in 1965 as toys for his son, but soon he started experimenting with the sounds that they made when rubbed along the strings of a piano.[16] This resulted in his composition Plectros III (1971), in which he specifies that the performer should use a pair of Super Balls on sticks as mallets with which to strike and rub the strings and case of a piano.[16]
According to one study "If a pen is stuck in a hard rubber ball and dropped from a certain height, the pen may bounce to several times that height."[20] If a Super Ball is dropped without spin onto a hard surface, with a small ball bearing on top of the Super Ball, the bearing rebounds to a great height.[21]
The "rough" nature of a Super Ball makes its impact characteristics different from otherwise similar smooth balls.[23][24] The resulting behavior is quite complex.[24] The Super Ball has been used as an illustration of the principle of time reversal invariance.[25]
A Super Ball is observed to reverse the direction of spin on each bounce.[26][27][28] This effect depends on the tangential compliance and frictional effect in the collision. It cannot be explained by rigid body impact theory, and would not occur were the ball perfectly rigid.[28] Tangential compliance is the degree to which one body clings to rather than slips over another at the point of impact.[29]
There's nothing quite like the Super Bowl. Millions of fans all over the country and world huddle in front of their televisions to watch the NFL crown the season's champion. Traditions are born, bowls of chips and salsa are consumed, and grown men and women cry. It's a uniquely American spectacle.
But football's beloved event hasn't always been such a big deal. In fact, it hasn't always been called the Super Bowl. The National Football League was founded in 1920, and the American Football League formed forty years later. Competition between the two leagues prompted the owners to negotiate an agreement in 1966 that both factions would merge by 1970 and play a championship game.
When trying to decide what to call the game, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle came up with names like the "Big One" and "Pro Bowl" but those didn't stick, according to Time. Rozelle's suggestion of "AFL-NFL World Championship Game" became the official moniker. Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt suggested the term "Super Bowl" inspired by his son's "Super Ball" toy, but the name wasn't used until later.
When dropped from shoulder level, a Super Ball will bounce back almost all the way to where it was dropped. Thrown toward the ground by an average adult, a Super Ball can bounce as high as a three-story building.
In the 1960s, the Super Ball quickly became a fad. By the end of 1965, Wham-O had sold over six million of the bouncy balls. Eventually, miniature versions of the bouncy ball could be bought for as little as a dime in toy vending machines.
Great work, Katelyn, Ramon, Ashlee, and Rebecca! We are so proud of our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Farr's Class! We love your creativity and awesome ideas about super balls-- and what they can do! It sounds like you've got a great idea for a book... how far can you go with a super ball? :)
Sometimes if they bounce around too much, Super Balls can sometimes be destructive, Cassie. Your school or classroom might now allow Super Balls because the room is too small-- we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt! :)
Welcome to Wonderopolis, Funny Girl! We are glad you are here-- there's so much fun to be had! We enjoy a fun game of bouncing the Super Ball as high as we can here at Wonderopolis! We bet you and your dad have a good time doing the same! Thanks for commenting today-- we can't wait to Wonder with you again! :)
WOHOO, we're so glad you commented about our SUPER Wonder, Mrs. Poplos! We love how high bouncy balls can go-- but we Wonder if you can do some research of your own about any other types of bouncy objects!? :)We bet you'll jump for joy over this Wonder, too! Wonder #703-- Who Jumps the Highest? -jumps-the-highest/ :)
Hi there, Deandra! We are glad your Wonder Friends in Mrs. Bright's class are joining us at Wonderopolis! We think you're right about the video-- it's a commercial for the Super Ball by the company called Wham-O! We Wonder if you've ever seen a TV show or commercial in black and white like the video? The Super Ball became popular before there were color TVs! :)
WOW, what a super Wonder, Patrick! We Wonder how high a Super Ball will go when people of different heights drop the ball! We think your experiment sounds AWESOME-- we are really proud of you, Wonder Friend! We hope you don't lose the ball while you test your theories! Make sure you share your results with us, please! :)
Hi there Shannon O! We are glad you are WONDERing with us about those COOL bouncy balls! We think that a Super Ball has the power to go to many different places if you bounce it! We Wonder if you've ever tried bouncing a Super Ball yourself? :)
WOHOO, we are happy our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Witkowski's 4th grade class are here today! We love to Wonder with you-- and learn cool, new things about inventions like the Super Ball! We can't wait to Wonder with you tomorrow-- we hope you are able to try out a Super Ball soon, too! :)
HOORAY, the super students in Mrs. Karr's class are bouncing with Wonder today! We are glad that you shared what you've learned today-- inventions are very fun to Wonder about. We hope you are able to play with a Super Ball soon-- they can be lots of fun! And even better, you learned about what they are made of! We can't wait to Wonder with you tomorrow-- thank you for sharing your guess! :)
Great job, Desirae-- we love to exercise by playing sports, too! We Wonder if you checked out a past Wonder about football...? :)Wonder #336-- Are Footballs Really Made of Pigskin? -footballs-really-made-of-pigskin/ :)
Check out the great Wonders from those fabulous students in Mrs. Phillips' class! We are so proud of you, Wonder Friends! :)The Super Ball was dropped from the 23rd floor of the hotel in Australia-- it was said to be an "accidental" drop... but we just learned about another accidental invention-- potato chips! We Wonder what you think about the giant Super Ball-- do you think it was as heavy as a bowling ball, or did gravity and force have something to do with it? We are so excited to hear about your experiments-- they sound SUPER! Have a great "thinking" Tuesday! :)
We love that our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Tillman's class are WONDERing with us this morning! Bouncy balls are very cool to learn about-- they are unpredictable-- who would have thought they could clear the height of a house! We can't wait to hear how your experiment goes, too! We hope to see you tomorrow for another great Wonder! :)
We're glad the SUPER students in Ms. Bayko's class are here today! We think playing with a bouncy ball during recess sounds like a great idea! We are pretty impressed to learn about how high the ball can bounce! We hope you have a great day, Wonder Friends! We can't wait to see you tomorrow! :)
Isn't it incredible to learn about how high a Super Ball can bounce, Siddman? We think it's cool to learn about the science behind the bouncy ball-- it has a lot of power when you add force and gravity to the mix! Thanks for stopping by today! :)
I thought I was done with Super Bowl LVIII, but one conversation that keeps happening has pulled me back in. I touched on San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan's decision to take the ball first in overtime in my recap column last Monday, but after stories broke that some 49ers players didn't know the rules and video was released of the Chiefs celebrating Shanahan's decision on the sideline, it has turned into a much bigger story.
When I wrote about the game -- which ended with the Chiefs scoring a touchdown on the second possession of overtime -- I suspected the conversation Monday morning would work on finding a scapegoat for what had gone wrong. Given Shanahan's issues in losing two prior Super Bowls, he was the most likely target, with many conflating several 49ers players not knowing the new overtime rules to Shanahan himself not understanding the options available.
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