To bounce, the bottle must change shape to absorb the energy of the impact and then return to its original shape afterward.
To explode, it must change shape in such a way as to no longer hold whatever’s inside of it (it must break). This usually happens when it changes shape *too much* and the just plastic gives up.
First, filling a bottle with liquid makes it *way* heavier. That means it has lots and lots more energy to absorb when it lands.
Second, while water cannot be squished, air *can*. When the bottle lands, the squishing of the air can hold some of the energy, reducing how much the plastic has to deal with.
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