NASA | Afterschool Universe: Supernova Ball Bounce

The video tutorial explains a simple experiment to model a supernova explosion using a tennis ball and a ping pong ball. By dropping the balls together, the energy transfer from the tennis ball to the ping pong ball is demonstrated, simulating the layers of a star's atmosphere rebounding off the core during a supernova. This experiment helps visualize the dramatic explosion that occurs at the end of a large star's life.

What materials are needed for the demonstration of a supernova explosion?

• A basketball and a football

• A tennis ball and a basketball

• A tennis ball and a ping pong ball

• A football and a ping pong ball

What happens when the tennis ball is dropped by itself?

• It does not bounce at all

• It bounces higher than the ping pong ball

• It bounces a foot or two

• It bounces higher than both balls together

When both balls are dropped together, what happens to the ping pong ball?

• It bounces the same height as the tennis ball

• It stays on the ground

• It bounces slightly

• It flies off further than the tennis ball

In the experiment, what does the tennis ball represent in the supernova analogy?

• The star's core

• The star's atmosphere

• The energy from the core

• The space around the star

What does the floor represent in the supernova analogy?

• The energy from the core

• The space around the star

• The star's atmosphere

• The star's outer layer