Before you are two balls, one solid and one hollow. They are to all appearences completely identical: same size, same weight, same outer material (though one might assume, correctly, that the hollow ball would need a higher-density material on the inside to make it the same weight).

Without breaking either of the balls, how can you easily determine which is hollow?

Assume that the material is solid enough that a hitting the side of the hollow ball will not result in any noticeable echo or vibrations.

if you heated up the two balls they would expand...i think that because the holow ball has no core (its hollow) it would expand more because all the mass would get more heat. the solid one would take a longer time for the heat to pass through it so it wouldnt expand as much

so put the two balls in the oven to see for the same amount of time and see which one expands more.

also it the ball got expanded there would be a better chance of hearing an echo or vibration

Posted by adam on 2005-03-31 00:07:13