Rubber band

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This article is about the common household item. For other meanings, see Rubber band (disambiguation).

Five rubber bands

A rubber band (in some regions known as a binder, elastic or lacker band or gumband in Australia) is a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop. Such bands are typically used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845 by Stephen Perry.

1 Manufacturing
2 Measuring and numbering
3 Uses
4 Slangs
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Manufacturing

The main idea in manufacturing rubber bands is straightforward: Manufacture a long rubber tube, then slice it (across, as in slicing a sausage) into little bands.^[1] While other rubber products may be made using synthetic rubber developed in World War II, rubber bands are still primarily manufactured using natural rubber because of its superior elasticity.

The modern rubber band is different from its ancestor at the time of patenting by Stephen Perry in that rubber is now vulcanized. The vulcanization process makes the rubber more durable and elastic, and therefore makes the rubber band useful.

[edit] Measuring and numbering

Measuring a rubber band

A rubber band is given a standard number based on its dimensions.

A rubber band has three basic dimentions: Length, width, and thickness. (See picture.)

A rubber band's length is half its circumference.

Its thickness is the distance from the inner circle to the outer circle.

Lay a rubber band down so that it makes a circle. The band's width is the height of that band or cylinder. If one imagines a long tube of rubber before it is sliced into rubber bands, the band's width is how far apart the slices are cut.

Rubber bands are numbered from small to large, width first. Thus, rubber bands numbered 8-19 are all 1/16 inches wide, with length going from 7/8 inches to 3 1/2 inches. Rubber band numbers 30-34 are for width of 1/8 inches, going again from shorter to longer. For even longer bands, the numbering starts over for numbers above 100, again starting at width 1/16 inches.

[edit] Uses

Because of the rebound property resulting from a rubber band's elasticity, the rubber band has numerous uses, many recreational and others serious.

Common rubber band sizes

A common way to suspend hard drive(s) in a computer case is to use rubber bands. Suspending hard drive(s) avoids contact between the hard drive(s) and the computer case. This results in reducing vibrations to the case, which reduces noise in the computer case.

Rubber bands are often used in orthodontics to help realign teeth over a period of time.

A makeshift eraser can be made by wrapping a rubber band tightly around the end of a pencil.

Rubber bands can be tied together to create a Chinese jump rope. Many rubber bands wrapped one by one around a core will form a bouncy rubber band ball.

Rubber bands are used during aerobic exercising as fitness tools.

A rubber band, although it can be very thin, does have a non-zero thickness. Therefore, when a rubber band is fixed on two ends and then twisted upon itself, it is equivalent to being stretched. As a result, the band will try to unstretch by untwisting itself. Based on this property, rubber bands are sometimes used to power model aircraft or other mechanical toys. When the rubber band untwists itself, it will rotate the wings affixed to it.

Rubber bands can be used as projectiles. The easiest way of doing this is to place one end on the thumb or index finger and stretch the other with the opposite hand. When the latter end is let go, the band will release. Rubber band guns also exist to fire rubber bands, and are generally more accurate. Rubber bands sting if shot at point-blank range against bare skin, but are generally harmless. However, it is best to avoid firing them at another person's face or eyes, bare skin, or at close range. As projectiles, rubber bands are sometimes used in intra-office or school pranks, involving employees or students with many dozens of rubber bands being shot at or between other various employees or students.

[edit] Slangs

In hip hop music, the term "a rubber band" is often used in reference to people with large amounts of money. These people use a rubber band to bind together a bundle of dollar bills.