How do jumping popper toys work? | University of Oxford (2024)

How do jumping popper toys work? | University of Oxford (1)

Smiley popping toy

15 May 2019

In a series of videos launchingThe Mathematical Observer, a new YouTube channel showcasingthe researchperformed in the Oxford MathematicsObservatory, Oxford Mathematician Michael Gomez (in collaboration withDerek MoultonandDominic Vella) investigates the science behind the jumping popper toy.

Snap-through buckling is a type of instability in which an elastic object rapidly jumps from one state to another. Such instabilities are familiar from everyday life: you have probably been soaked by an umbrella flipping upwards in high winds, while snap-through is harnessed to generate fast motions in applications ranging from soft robotics to artificial heart valves. In biology, snap-through has long been exploited to convert energy stored slowly into explosive movements: both the leaf of the Venus flytrap and the beak of the hummingbird snap-through to catch prey unawares.

Despite the ubiquity of snap-through in nature and engineering, how fast snap-through occurs (i.e. its dynamics) is generally not well understood, with many instances reported of delay phenomena in which snap-through occurs extremely slowly. A striking example is a children’s ‘jumping popper’ toy, which resembles a rubber spherical cap that can be turned inside-out. The inside-out shape remains stable while the cap is held at its edges, but leaving the popper on a surface causes it to snap back to its natural shape and leap upwards. The snap back is not immediate: a time delay is observed during which the popper moves very slowly before rapidly accelerating.

The delay can be several tens of seconds in duration — much slower than the millisecond or so that would be expected for an elastic instability. Playing around further reveals other unusual features: holding the popper toy for longer before placing it down generally causes a slower snap-back, and the amount of delay is highly unpredictable, varying greatly with each attempt.

See more videos:Episode two: how fast the popper toy snaps, and how its unpredictable nature can arise purely from the mathematical structure of the snap-through transition.

Find out more about the Mathematical Institute at Oxford.

How do jumping popper toys work? | University of Oxford (2)

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How do jumping popper toys work? | University of Oxford (2024)

FAQs

How do jumping popper toys work? | University of Oxford? ›

The inside-out shape remains stable while the cap is held at its edges, but leaving the popper on a surface causes it to snap back to its natural shape and leap upwards. The snap back is not immediate: a time delay is observed during which the popper moves very slowly before rapidly accelerating.

Why does a popper pop? ›

It emits a loud popping noise by means of a small friction-actuated explosive charge that is activated by pulling a string. The explosive charge comes from a very small amount of Armstrong's mixture (a highly sensitive explosive) in the neck of the bottle-like shape.

What are the popper toys called? ›

An eye popper, rubber popper, hopper popper or jumping popper is a children's toy. It consists of a small, dome-shaped piece of rubber or similar material resembling a half of a rubber ball; the shape of a smile is often imprinted on the dome.

When was the eye popper invented? ›

Hooks & eyes first appeared in the 17th century and poppers, also known as press studs and snap fasteners, were invented in 1885 by Herbert Bauer.

How does a popper work? ›

Sniffing poppers increases blood flow to the body giving some users: a head-rush that lasts for a couple of minutes. a sense of euphoria. increased sex drive and skin sensitivity.

How do we know that the pop up toy has gained energy when it is turned inside out? ›

Be sure to point the popper away from your face and other people (figure 1). 2. As you continue to press, the popper will turn inside out, creating a “bulge” in its center. At this point, it has stored its potential energy (figure 2).

Is pop it a rubber? ›

This sensory bubble toy is super easy to play with, simply press the bubbles down and they make a slight popping sound.
...
Product Specification.
ColorMulti
TypePop it Fidget Toy
Body MaterialSilicone Rubber
Delivery TimeImmediate
Age GroupAll
1 more row

What is a piggy popper? ›

Pig Popper is a great sensory toy for strengthening hands and fingers and developing fine motor skills! This fun play set includes an adorable rubbery pig and 6 foam balls.

What is a poppin toy? ›

Pop fidget toys are like reusable bubble wrap made out of silicone. The idea is for kids to press “bubbles” to hear a slight popping sound, and when all of the bubbles have been “popped,” they may flip the toy over and begin again.

Who invented popper toys? ›

History. The Corn Popper was invented in 1957 by Arthur Holt, and sold to Fisher-Price for $50. The Corn Popper is one of the most popular toys for young children in history, and was designed to help them learn to walk.

Who is the biggest eye popper? ›

Kim Goodman (USA) holds the record title of farthest eyeball pop (female). She can pop her eyeballs to a protrusion of 12 mm (0.47 in) beyond her eye sockets.

Who is the girl who pops her eyes out? ›

Kim Goodman is a woman with the largest eyes in the world (0.47 inches). She holds the world record for the farthest eyeball protrusion. She lives in Chicago, Illinois. She discovered her eyeball popping talent one day when she was hit over the head.

What effect does a popper have on your eyes? ›

The signs of poppers maculopathy seem to be damage to cells in the macula that can be seen during eye examination as yellow spots. The symptoms include poorer than usual or blurred vision and holes in your vision (scotoma). Some (but not all) of the reports are about people who used poppers often.

Why do adults use fidget toys? ›

Individuals with anxiety may fidget or make small movements when they are feeling anxious, restless, impatient or nervous. Fidget toys give these movements an outlet, which can help calm a person's nerves, relieve stress and serve as a distraction in an overstimulating environment.

What is the point of a push pop toy? ›

- Relieve Stress and Anxiety

These sensory toys can relieve stress and anxiety and increase patient. Fantastic for kids with ADD/ADHD, OCD, autism, or people with high anxiety. They can help calm them down and focus attention.

Are Pop It toys for autism? ›

While pop it fidget toys can be enjoyed by anyone, they are often recommended for children with special needs, including autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder. They can help provide a sense of calm and focus in stressful situations.

How do you set up a popper? ›

To master how to use surface poppers, follow these steps:
  1. Select the right lure. ...
  2. Know how to rig a popper lure so that it will float near the surface.
  3. Cast your popper out to the target area and let it settle briefly.
  4. Take in small amounts of line slowly, making small movements as you retrieve it.

What is the difference between a popper and a snap? ›

[Added 29 Jan: The difference seems to be that snapping involves making a closure, and popping usually involves undoing the fastening.

What is the rate of a popper? ›

Buy Pahal Party Poppers - Large, Assorted Online at Best Price of Rs 120 - bigbasket.

What form of energy is in the popper before it popped up? ›

When you turn the popper inside out, you are giving the toy elastic potential energy. When the popper reverts back to its original shape the potential energy is converted into sound energy and kinetic energy. It pushes away from the surface, causing it to fly up into the air.

What form of energy makes the toy work? ›

Electrical (Electromagnetic) Potential Energy

When you turn on a device that is battery-operated, such as a flashlight or a toy, the electrical potential energy stored in the battery is converted into other forms of energy such as sound, mechanical motion, thermal energy, and light.

What kind of energy does the popper get from the work it takes to turn it inside out? ›

Energy, which is the ability to do work, is stored when the racquetball popper is turned inside out. Potential energy is stored energy. Once the popper hits the floor, the potential energy is transformed or changed, to kinetic energy, which is energy of motion.

How do you make a class popper? ›

Easy Popper Made From Paper!
  1. Start with a piece of paper. ...
  2. Fold it in half, then unfold it.
  3. Fold all of the corners in onto that line you made in the previous step. ...
  4. You'll then want to fold that piece in half and unfold it.
  5. Next fold the corners onto that line.
  6. Lastly fold it outwards so it creates a triangle.

How do you make a marshmallow popper? ›

What you do:
  1. Cut the bottom off of the paper cup.
  2. Tie a knot in the bottom of an empty balloon.
  3. Cut off about a ½ inch from the top of the ballon.
  4. Stretch the balloon around the bottom of the cup.
  5. Secure the balloon to the cup bottom with rubber band.
May 21, 2016

Are Pop-It toys safe? ›

We recently shared a post on our Facebook page that got a lot of you talking – pop-it fidgets are a great toy for older kids, but it is not well known that (like many toys) they can break, and pieces can pose a choking risk for littlies. NOTE: **with all toys, inspect regularly for wear, tear, and damage.

Can you chew on a Pop-It? ›

It is quiet, but discernable. **Unlike the many handheld poppers on the market, this style is made of high-quality silicone that is safe to chew on.

Are Pop-It toys reusable? ›

Washable and reusable

The pop it toys are waterproof, you can wash and reuse them many times, or you can just easily clean them with wet wipes as well.

What is the virus in Piggy? ›

The Virus was originally thought to be only spread through blood, but was later revealed to be communicable (transmissible from person to person), as found on a whiteboard in Outpost. It is that Substance 128 contains neurotoxins that affect the brain of the host, causing the host to display aggression.

What is zombie piggy? ›

Zompiggy is an unlockable skin in the game Piggy. She costs 325 Piggy Tokens to be unlocked. She is the bot skin in Metro. During the Chapter 7 update, she was one of the most expensive characters to unlock.

What is bunny in Piggy? ›

Bunny is a skin in Piggy. Alongside Pandy, she was added into the game when School - Chapter 5 was released.

What is a boink toy? ›

Boinks are a fun active, but quiet play fidget toy for those with restless energy. Press it down, swish it, pull it to the side and watch it bounce and fly in all directions, this can pass hours of fun trying out different tricks and positions. Great for a rainy day.

What does toy girl mean? ›

a woman who sells toys.

What is a bilibo toy? ›

Bilibo is a "shell-shaped, hard-wearing piece of plastic" used as a toy. It is produced in six different colors. It was developed in 2001 by Swiss designer Alex Hochstrasser in consultation with experts for child development.

What is the oldest fidget toy? ›

One of the earliest examples of fidget toys are the Baoding balls. The Ming Dynasty first produced metal Baoding balls thousands of years ago as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Why is it called popper? ›

It was packaged and sold pharmaceutically in fragile glass ampoules wrapped in cloth sleeves which, when crushed or "popped" in the fingers, released the amyl nitrite for inhalation, hence the colloquialism poppers.

What is a popper fidget? ›

Description. The Amazing Rainbow Push Popper is a sensory circle bubble popper fidget toy made of silicone used for anxiety relief, stress relief, autism, ADD, ADHD, learning math in classrooms, learning games, and is for kids and adults.

Who has the best eye in the world? ›

Mantis shrimps probably have the most sophisticated vision in the animal kingdom. Their compound eyes move independently and they have 12 to 16 visual pigments compared to our three. They are the only animals known to be able to see circular polarised light.

Who has the farthest eyeball pop male? ›

With a protrusion of 18.2 mm (0.71 in) beyond his eye sockets, Mesquita has a medical condition called 'globe luxation' — where the eyeball pops out of the socket more than usual.

Who has the biggest eyes ever? ›

The colossal squid has the largest animal eyes ever studied. It possibly has the largest eyes that have ever existed during the history of the animal kingdom. In a living colossal squid they measure about 27 cm across — about the size of a soccer ball.

Who is the girl with the most beautiful eyes? ›

​​Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Penelope Cruz: Celebs with most beautiful eyes​
  • ​Aishwarya Rai Bachchan​ The former Miss World is famous for her blue-green eyes. ...
  • ​Penelope Cruz ​ ...
  • ​Olivia Wilde​ ...
  • Mila Kunis. ...
  • ​Megan Fox​ ...
  • ​Emma Stone​ ...
  • ​Charlize Theron​ ...
  • ​Angelina Jolie​
Apr 9, 2023

Is eye popping safe? ›

An eye popping out of the socket is considered a medical emergency. Do not attempt to force your eye back in place, as this can lead to further complications. Contact an ophthalmologist for an emergency appointment as soon as possible.

Is Popper drug safe? ›

Poppers are not safe to consume by anyone. Even young, healthy individuals are at risk for negative short- and long-term effects and death when taking poppers. There is no safe way to use poppers. The dangers outweigh any benefits you may think they have.

Does it hurt to pop a popper in your hand? ›

The sand or gravel moderates the shock wave produced by the detonation, so even though the sound is loud, the force of the pressure wave is fairly minor. Snapping one in your hand or stomping it with bare feet can hurt, but is unlikely to break the skin.

What is the chemical reaction of the party popper? ›

The Party Popper detonates. There is a popping noise and a release of streamers associated with the detonation. It should be noted that the explosion occurs because of the sudden evolution of the SO2 gas. On the basis of the stoichiometry presented, the reaction mixture should be 58.7% KClO3, 34.9% Sb2S3, and 6.4% P4.

When should you throw a popper? ›

Poppers should be used anytime except in the dark of night when other surface lures such as Danny-type surface swimmers are more appropriate. Usually poppers are fished with a moderately fast retrieve, with rod tip held high.

What are snap rocks made of? ›

Composition. Bang snaps consist of a small amount of gravel or coarse sand impregnated with a minute quantity (~0.2 milligrams) of silver fulminate high explosive and twisted in a cigarette paper to produce a shape resembling a cherry.

What's inside a pop it? ›

Pop Its consist of a tiny amount of silver fulminate (0.08 to 0.20 milligrams) with coarse sand or gravel (200 milligrams), twisted into tissue paper or cigarette paper. When the device is thrown, stepped on, or burned, it produces a sharp popping sound.

What is the price of party popper? ›

Buy Pahal Party Poppers - Large, Assorted Online at Best Price of Rs 120 - bigbasket.

What can you catch on a popper? ›

Poppers are most effective when used to catch fish in shallow water. However, they can be used to catch a variety of different fish species in both calm and choppy water conditions. Some of the most common fish that can be caught with a popper lure include bass, trout, crappie, bluegill, and catfish.

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