ICR Chemistry: Bouncy Ball Reflection Questions

💭 Which trial produced the best bouncy ball in your group?
(Choose the one with the highest bounce OR most bounces.)

• Trial 1 (Control)

• Trial 2

• Trial 3

• None of them worked

Answer explanation

Answer will vary by group! Don't focus on the point value for this question!

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

🧪 What factors might have caused a bouncy ball to perform poorly?
(Choose all that apply.)

• Not enough borax

• Too much glue

• Uneven stirring or mixing

• • Water spilled out of the cup

• Not enough food coloring

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

💡 Why does changing the amount of borax affect the bounce of the ball?
(Hint: Think about how polymers behave.)

📘 Which statement best explains why polymers are important in making bouncy balls?

• Polymers are liquids that don’t react

• Polymers trap gas and create bubbles

• • Polymers form long chains that can be cross-linked to change texture

• Polymers evaporate when heated

The graph shows the bounce height of bouncy balls made using different combinations of glue, borax, and water. Which statement best explains why the bounce height was highest in one of the trials?

• Borax helps form elastic cross-links in the glue. Too little or too much borax affects how well the ball bounces.

• Bounce height depends mostly on how much water was added, not on the react

• Adding more borax always increases bounce because it makes the ball harder.

• The glue is the only ingredient responsible for bounce height, not borax.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

📝 If you could do another trial, what ratio of glue, borax, and water would you try, and why?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-4

Create a bar graph comparing bounce heights OR number of bounces across your three trials. Attach or insert it below in the show your work section, You should be able to save a screenshot of your graph made on google sheets. Challenge, double bar graph that shows both!

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1