Setup: an official ping pong ball is floating inside a party plastic cup filled with clean water, which is then dropped from a certain height onto a soft mat.

Observation: the ping pong ball shoots up to a height which is much higher than its initial position.

Question: why does the ping pong ball do that? Why didn't the water and soft mat absorb the kinetic energy? Is this an inelastic collision?

PS: the first time it was an accident, the second time the soft mat and I were thrown out XD

Setup: an official ping pong ball is floating inside a party plastic cup filled with clean water, which is then dropped from a certain height onto a soft mat.

Observation: the ping pong ball shoots up to a height which is much higher than its initial position.

Question: why does the ping pong ball do that? Why didn't the water and soft mat absorb the kinetic energy? Is this an inelastic collision?

PS: the first time it was an accident, the second time the soft mat and I were thrown out XD

Setup: a official ping pong ball is floating inside a party plastic cup filled with clean water and is then dropped off at a certain height onto a soft mat.

Observation: the ping pong shoots up to a height much higher than initial position.

Question: why ping pong ball did that? Why water and soft mat didn't absorb the kinetic energy? Is this inelastic collision?

Ps: first time is an accident, second time soft mat and me will be thrown out XD

Setup: an official ping pong ball is floating inside a party plastic cup filled with clean water, which is then dropped from a certain height onto a soft mat.

Observation: the ping pong ball shoots up to a height which is much higher than its initial position.

Question: why does the ping pong ball do that? Why didn't the water and soft mat absorb the kinetic energy? Is this an inelastic collision?

PS: the first time it was an accident, the second time the soft mat and I were thrown out XD