Prompt Cast
The Origins and Chemistry of Super Balls
TLDR Super balls, known for their unpredictable and fun nature, were created by scientist Norman Stingley who developed a synthetic rubber ball that had an unprecedented bounce. The chemistry of super balls, including the use of polybutadiene, allows them to maintain their elasticity and bounce back with a resilience of 90% even after multiple bounces.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode titled "How SuperBalls Work" discusses the origins of the name "Super Bowl" and how it is related to the Super Ball.
03:33
The name "Super Bowl" was chosen for the year-end championship game between the best teams from the NFL and AFL because one of the founders, Lamar Hunt, suggested it after his kid had been playing with a Super Ball toy at home.
07:14
Norman Stingley, a scientist working for Bettis Rubber, created a synthetic rubber ball that bounced more than any other ball he had seen before, but it would disintegrate when thrown too hard, so he took it to his employer who initially rejected it.
10:35
Norman Stingley took his synthetic rubber ball to WAMO, the company that made the Hula Hoop, Frisbee, and Slinky, who told him to work on improving it.
14:24
Super ball knockoffs became popular because they were cheaper and smaller than the original super ball.
17:38
Super balls have a high coefficient of restitution and conserve their elastic energy, allowing them to bounce back with a resilience of 90% even after multiple bounces.
20:59
Polybutadiene is an important compound in the chemistry of super balls and is often used in science classes to demonstrate their unique properties.
24:55
Super balls have a coefficient of friction that allows them to grip surfaces and change their spin, making them unpredictable and fun to play with.
Categories:
Society & Culture
