Goal: Testing the amount of bounce of homemade bouncy balls with differing amounts of borax and comparing it to the bounce of a store bought balls.

Children will design and help make two of their own homemade bouncy balls with Clarkson University Society of Women Engineers members. Differing amounts of borax, the polymerizing agent, will be added to each bouncy ball solution. Then, they will test the bounce of each ball on different surfaces to see how much borax is optimal for the “bounciest” ball. They will also be comparing the bounce to a store bought ball. Throughout the entirety of their session they will be coached through the scientific method. The children will learn the basic concepts of creating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions. Their creations will also be sent home with them to foster future experimental learning!