Ping Pong Ball Volume (Dimensions, Weight)
According to the international dimension of ping pong balls, the volume of the ball is 33.5 cm3. If you are a curious person and love playing ping pong, you are interested in the lightweight ball. From that curiosity, you may also want to know the volume of the ball.
However, before knowing the volume, it is necessary to know the official dimension of a ping pong ball. There is some other interesting information you will find as you go through the article.
Ping pong ball dimensions
There are typically three different sizes of ping pong balls available. Among them, one is unofficial size, another one is the official size, and another is the latest addition. A regulation ping pong ball measures 40 mm in diameter.
Official ball dimension: An official ping pong ball comes in a regulation size of 40 mm or 1.57 inches. In international matches or professional games, these balls are used.
Unofficial ball dimension: An unofficial ping pong ball measures 38 mm or 1.5 inches. Beginners use these balls for recreational purposes.
Latest inducted ball: The latest inductee in ping pong balls is the balls that come in 40+ mm diameter.
Circumference of ping pong ball: The ball comes with a circumference of 125.6 mm or 4.94 inches.
Calculating the volume of a ping pong ball
Calculating the volume of a ping pong ball isn’t a difficult task if you know the formula for measuring the volume of a spherical object. There is no confusion that a ping pong ball is a spherical object and the formula to calculate the volume is (4/3)*pi*r3.
The standard of pi is 3.1416, and r means the radius of the ball. The official diameter of a ping pong ball is 40 mm or 1.57 inches. So the radius of the ball is 20 mm or 0.785 inches. After multiplying all these numbers, the result will be 33.5 cm3 or 2.04 inches3.
Ping pong ball weight
The weight of ping pong balls ranges from 2.6 to 2.7 grams approximately. However, the official weight of these lightweight balls is 2.7 grams or 0.095 ounces according to the International Table Tennis Federation or ITTF. The weight of the ball affects the speed and bounce of the play.
Depending on the weight, you will find the ball bouncing much or bouncing less. Again, the speed it produces is also depended on the weight.
What is ping pong balls made of
There are mainly two types of materials used to make ping pong balls, celluloid and plastic. Although the balls look similar, they have some special features. You may also like knowing what ping pong tables and paddles are made of.
Celluloid: In the past, ping pong balls are made of celluloid. It is a plastic-like material, but not exactly plastic. The celluloid used to make the ball is made from the composition nitrocellulose and camphor. Then to make the composition softer, the makers soak it in hot alcohol.
Plastic: According to the International Table Tennis Federation, plastic is a lot safer material to be used for constructing ping pong balls. For this reason, nowadays ping pong balls are made from poly plastic that produces lightweight balls. These plastic balls also produce more bounce than celluloid ones.
Types of ping pong balls
There are mainly three types of ping pong balls available depending on the star rating, 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star. With the star rating, the quality of the balls is indicated. The lower number of stars means it is a low-quality ball and a higher number indicates high-quality balls.
You can also use the 1-star and 2-star balls for practicing ping pong alone with the help of a ping pong ball launcher.
1-star ping pong ball: 1-star rating represents the lowest quality ping pong balls. They are less durable and typically bought in packs. They are not approved for tournament usage.
2-star ping pong ball: The quality of 2-star balls is pretty similar to 1-star balls, and they are also not usable for tournament purposes. They are used for recreational purposes and bough in dozens or more.
3-star ping pong ball: The only tournament-approved ball by the International Table Tennis Federation is 3-star balls. They are highly durable and provide adequate bounce as well.
Ping pong balls color
The color choice of ping pong balls depends on the color of the table surface. There are mainly three colors of balls used, white, orange, and yellow. However, orange and yellow stand on the same page as they are most appropriate for unofficial matches or recreational events.
In official tournaments, a white ball is more preferable. In these tournaments, the table surface comes with green or blue color typically. Using a white ball on such a surface increases the visibility. While choosing the color of the ball visibility should be the most concerning fact.
Ping pong balls bounce
Because of the hollow inside construction, ping pong balls bounce. However, the bounce of the ball depends on the weight as well as on the construction.
According to the official rules, a regulation size ping pong ball should bounce around 24 to 26 cm when it is dropped from 30 cm height.
The lighter balls produce more bounce on the surface but less speed. Meanwhile, the heavier ones are great for enhanced speed but less bounce.
Plastic balls with seam produce the least bounce and seamless one the highest bounce. Celluloid balls remain in the middle of these two in terms of bounce.
So according to the official diameter of a ping pong ball, the volume of the ball is 33.5 cm3 approximately.