This experiment seeks to test the impact of various temperatures on the elasticity of rubber bands. Three groups comprised of 25 similar rubber bands are kept at room temperature, frozen at 30 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours and placed in an oven set for 167 F for a long enough period of time that they heat up without melting. They are then attached to a hook on a spring scale and pulled downward until the tension causes them to break. The reading on the scale at the breaking point of each rubber band is recorded. Results should show that the rubber bands exposed to lower temperatures were more elastic than those kept in warmer temperatures. Safety gloves should be worn when conducting this experiment to limit pain from snapping rubber bands and touching oven-heated rubber bands.
One noted property of elastic objects is their ability to return to their original form after being stretched. This experiment seeks to determine the relationship between how much an elastic object stretches and the amount of force applied using a spring, one thin rubber band, one thick rubber band and 8 sets of weights starting at 100 grams and increasing incrementally by 100 grams; do not exceed 500 grams for the spring or it will break. The springs and rubber bands are first measured at their normal length. Weights are then added incrementally to force the rubber band to stretch. This new length is then measured and subtracted from the original length to get the amount each item has stretched. The figure is then recorded.
This experiment measures the effect of water temperature on rubber band elasticity. A pot of water is brought to a boil and poured into a graduated cylinder. Then, a cut rubber band has a weight tied to one end of it and a skewer tied to the other. The weight is then lowered into the cylinder, the temperature of the water is taken with a thermometer and the initial length of the rubber band is measured using a ruler. New temperature and length measurements are taken every 3 to 5 minutes until the water temperature matches the temperature in the room.
Using candy is a great way to explain the effects of elasticity to younger children. In this experiment, a segment of a rubber band similar in length to a gummy worm is cut, measured and stretched as far as possible before breaking. This length is measured and is known as the "Stretch Length." The length of the rubber band after it contracts is also measured and recorded as the "Final Length." Observers then subtract the length of the rubber band prior to stretching from the "Final Length" to get the "Change in Length." This process is then repeated for the gummy worm. Children should notice that the "Final Length" of the rubber band is the same as the initial length, but the "Final Length" of the gummy worm is slightly longer than the starting length.