If you use the scientific method, you make observations before experimenting and forming or testing a hypothesis. You've followed a procedure to make a bouncing ball. Now you can vary the procedure and use your observations to make predictions about the effects of the changes.
- Observations you can make and then compare as you change the composition of the ball include the diameter of the finished ball, how sticky it is, how long it takes to solidify into a ball, and how high it bounces.
- Experiment with the ratio between the amounts of glue, cornstarch, and borax. Adding more cornstarch will make a ball that stretches and bends. Using less borax will produce a 'goopier' type of ball. Add more glue for a slimier ball.
This activity is adapted from the American Chemical Society's "Meg A. Mole's Bouncing Ball", a featured project for National Chemistry Week 2005.
