Why Are Bouncing Balls Spherical for Optimal Performance?

[minnielala]

Could someone explain all the reasons that balls made to bounce are spherical? Bouncing = collision, so I guess I mean any ball that is meant to collide.

 

[DaveC426913]

Here's a question for you: if the ball were not round, say it were a cube (like a large dice) how do you think it would bounce? What would happen if you dropped it at different angles? Or with a slight sipn?

 

[arildno]

Hi, minnielala:
Just a follow-up question to Dave's:
In Norway, where I live, some people like to camp in the mountains and on the flat, barren mountain plateaus (yes, Norwegians ARE weird..).

The tents that are used are called "mountain tents", and have the shape of a half-sphere.
Can you give a reason why the sphere form is the smartest way to construct a functional mountain tent?