NASA | Afterschool Universe: Supernova Ball Bounce

The video explains a simple experiment to model a supernova explosion using a tennis ball and a ping pong ball. When dropped together, the ping pong ball flies higher due to energy transfer from the tennis ball. This simulates the layers of a star's atmosphere rebounding off the core during a supernova.

What materials are needed to demonstrate the concept of a supernova explosion?

• A basketball and a football

• A tennis ball and a ping pong ball

• A tennis ball and a basketball

• A football and a ping pong ball

When the tennis ball is dropped alone, how high does it typically bounce?

• Three feet

• It doesn't bounce

• A foot or two

• A few inches

What happens to the ping pong ball when it is stacked on top of the tennis ball and both are dropped together?

• It doesn't bounce at all

• It flies off further than when dropped alone

• It stays on the tennis ball

• It bounces lower than the tennis ball

In the experiment, what does the tennis ball represent in the model of a supernova?

• The space around the star

• The energy from the core

• The star's atmosphere layers

• The star's core

What does the floor represent in the supernova model demonstrated by the experiment?

• The star's outer layers

• The gravitational pull of the star

• The vacuum of space

• The iron core of the star