EXPLORING THE ELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF RUBBER BANDS AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

Abstract

The chains of molecules in rubber (Hevea Braziliensis) have a natural elasticity: they can stretch when pulled but when the pulling force is removed, the elastic polymers in rubber spring back to their original length. This work demonstrates that rubber bands obey Hooke's law. It also reveals that rubber bands become more elastic when heated to a higher temperature especially when weight is added. The result of our work reveals that, at lower temperatures (say, 0°C to 40°C) the different in extension between 100g weight and 500g weight was significantly less than the difference in extension between the same amounts of weight at higher temperatures. The heated rubber bands were the most elastic; stretching to the farthest extends of 21.40+/-0.05cm at 100°C. Thus, an experimental proven of the fact that, increase in temperature increases the elasticity of the rubber band.