Sai Pranav Parvathaneni

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Behavior of Rubber Bands and Rubber-like Polymers

Started July 3, 2023

Abstract or project description

Rubber bands are the most widely used elastomers in daily life. While Hooke’s law models the elasticity of metals, no single model of elasticity explains all properties of rubber bands. In this study, we conducted experiments that tested rubber bands' response to external forces and deformations by exploring concepts from thermodynamics and harmonic motion. We then proposed several qualitative explanations for the behaviour of rubber bands by observing trends in the data. The data was interpreted and analyzed in the context of an ideal polymer, so the results can be extended to all rubber-like polymers. We first tested the influence of physical parameters like colour and size on the behaviour of rubber bands and proposed an explanation based on particle agglomeration and viscous forces. Then, we tested rubber bands under different constraints such as torsion and coupling, and we proposed explanations based on shear stresses and force transmission. Next, we recorded the response of rubber bands to different sources of heat and proposed a hypothesis for the unpredictable results. Finally, we studied oscillatory systems involving rubber bands and used the data to support or weaken our previous hypotheses. The results of this research provide us with valuable insights into the material properties of rubber bands and enable the creation of more resilient rubber bands in the future.