Rubbers are one of the most commonly used materials that are used globally.Different kinds of rubber balls, elastic bands, swimming caps, and footwear are made from rubber and are commercially available worldwide. More than 50% of the manufactured rubber is used for making vehicle tires.Its properties of flexibility and durability make it an even more versatile material. Natural rubber can be extracted from the latex of the trees by a process called tapping. More than 2,500 different species of trees produce this latex sap making it readily available. Moreover, due to their high demand, the burgeoning rubber industries have developed synthetic or artificial rubbers that provide the same elasticity and durability as natural rubber.With such extensive usage, the question that always pops up in mind is how exactly rubber floats on the water surface? To understand the concept behind it, we need to dig deeper into the concepts of buoyancy and the relationship of density with it.If you enjoyed the read, then don’t forget to check out do bananas float in water and do golf balls float here at Kidadl.Rubber Composition And Its DensityNatural rubber is made of isoprene polymers loosely held together by the unit monomers. This loose bond between the monomers attributes the property of stretching. Synthetic rubbers are manufactured from petrochemicals in chemical plants. The most common form of synthetic rubber used widely is neoprene, formed by the reaction of acetylene and hydrochloric acid. Another widely used synthetic rubber form is emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR), primarily used to make tires. Furthermore, rubbers undergo a process called vulcanization that hardens them with improved elasticity, tensile strength, and resilience.The calculated density of soft rubber is about 0.06 oz/in3 (0.11 gm/cm3). The density of an object is its mass per unit volume, and the measured volume of a rubber stopper is approximately 0.31 oz (9.35 ml). The ratio of the density of objects to that of the water density is the specific gravities of those objects. The specific gravities of rubber items are somewhere around 0.96. Rubber stopper is made up of natural and synthetic rubber, which is less dense and therefore floats effortlessly.Why do lighter things float on water?Objects float on water because of lesser density. The lighter objects float while the heavier objects sink in the water. Thus, density and buoyancy determine the object’s ability to float or sink. This concept of buoyancy was first put forth by the Greek mathematician Archimedes. Let’s delve deeper into this principle to understand better buoyancy, which makes an object float or sink.The principle states that a partially or a fully submerged object experiences an upthrust force equal to the given weight of the amount of fluid displaced by that particular object. This force of upthrust is termed the buoyant force, which is dependant on three factors; the density of the fluid, the fluid volume, and the acceleration due to gravity.In simple words, we can say that the buoyant force is similar in action to that of the gravitational force but acts in the opposite direction. Water molecules adhere to the rubber materials to create surface tension, which allows them to float. If an object is denser than water, it will sink at the bottom, regardless of its shape and size. Rubber and other materials like wood, oil, a ping pong ball with pockets of air, empty bottles, a rubber band, and the different hollow things with plenty of air pockets are not dense as water, so they can easily float on the surface.What do you mean by the density of water?The density of water is its mass per unit volume. Its density is exactly 62.4 lb/ft3 (997 kg/m3), and the molar mass is approximately 0.63 oz (18 gm) per mole. The density of water largely varies with temperature, and its value changes with the change in temperature of the liquid.The density of liquid water increases when it is cooled below room temperature. However, at 39.2 F (4 C), pure liquid water reaches its maximum density, beyond which it expands and thus, becomes less dense. Ice floats because its density is less than water. When water is frozen, its weight per unit volume decreases up to 9%. The two oppositely acting forces, the gravitational and buoyant forces, achieve equilibrium at 39.2 F (4 C).Rubber floats because it is less dense than water. The numerous science experiments show us that things with less mass, like wood, oil, rubber band, and a rubber ball, float on the water surface because of their lesser theoretical density. Vegetable oil forms a thin film at the surface, separating itself from water. In short, to sink or float depends on the object’s density.Examples Of Things That Will Sink In WaterNumerous science experiments reveal that the ability to sink or float depends on buoyancy, which is further dependant on the object’s density. The mass can determine the density of an object and the unit volume it occupies. While there are objects that are less dense than water, for example, wood, rubber stopper, rubber ball, or any other type of hollow ball, that will float when popped into the water; certain objects will sink at the bottom. These objects are denser than water and hence can overcome the buoyant force.Examples of objects that sink in water are rocks, steel, marble, and sand. Although the rubber stopper floats, unfilled silicone rubber sinks because it has a specific gravity of 1.10. Objects will sink if they have a specific gravity of more than one.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Does Rubber Float In Water? The Sink Or Float Test Explained For Kids!, then why not look at Why We Classify Organisms? Creature Classes Explained For Kids or Why Do Wasps Sting? How Your Family Can Prevent Being Zapped?
Rubbers are one of the most commonly used materials that are used globally.
