Hockey Puck

ice hockey · sports equipment · physics

Made of rubber. Hockey pucks are crafted from vulcanized rubber, which makes them hard and bouncy. Ice hockey pucks are frozen before games so they slide smoothly across the ice without bouncing too much.

Designed for ice. Ice hockey pucks are small and flat, about 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. This shape lets them glide fast and far across slippery ice when players hit them with sticks.

Works on floors too. Floor hockey and inline hockey also use pucks, but they're built differently than ice hockey pucks. These pucks have wheels or special bottoms so they slide smoothly on wood, concrete, or gym floors.

Replaces the ball. Instead of using a ball like soccer or basketball, hockey games use pucks because they slide better and move faster. A puck can travel over 100 miles per hour when a player hits it hard with a stick.

Into the net. The whole point of hockey is to shoot the puck past your opponent's goalie and into the net to score points. Players pass and control the puck with their sticks throughout the game.