Why does a rubber band snap back?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Rubber molecules naturally prefer a messy, relaxed tangle
Rubber molecules are stretched tight and recoil like tiny springs — Wrong. Rubber doesn't store energy in stretched molecular bonds like a spring; it stores it by forcing molecules out of their natural messy arrangement.
Rubber molecules naturally prefer a messy, relaxed tangle ✓ — Correct! Rubber is made of long chain molecules that are naturally tangled and relaxed. Stretching pulls them straight and orderly, which is less comfortable for them. When released, they return to their preferred messy tangle, and that's what snaps the rubber band back.
Static electricity builds up and pulls the rubber back — Wrong. Static electricity isn't involved here. The snap-back is purely mechanical—the molecules returning to their natural tangled state.