1) Why is squash and stretch so useful in animation?
They are useful because they allow us to see the bounciness of the object. Imagine a 2D animation whereby there are two balls of different materials bouncing, without the use of squash and stretch. It would be hard to actually tell (other than inferring from the texture) whether the objects are flexible and bouncy or not.
If both balls lands without squash and stretch, it would look and feel like they are both made of steel. However, add in exaggerated squash and stretch to one of the balls, and now we can see the difference between the flexibility and bounciness of the two balls!
Finally it also gives a sense of volume to an object. An object can have squash and stretch but it retains its original volume.
2) Think of a situation in which extreme squash and stretch could be applied to a character - try to be original.
A character punching another character! The character being punch could had a huge round body so that when he got punched, he does not move immediately, but his body shape gets "squashed" in by the punch. It takes a few milliseconds before the punching force is felt by his body, causing his body to start flying away and his body shape "stretched" out before returning to the original form.
3) Think of an animation example where squash and stretch would NOT be appropriate.
Animating a steel ball bouncing, as given in the example in Q1. A steel ball is not flexible so it should not change shape when it hits the floor. Another possible example would be when books are dropped. Books are not really bouncy so it shouldn't squash and stretch.
4) If squash and stretch doesn't really happen so obviously in real life, why do you think is it so effective in animation?
Squash and stretch helps to create a cartoony feel and makes it feel more lively and interesting. At the same time, it also describes details, such as the bounciness and flexibility of the object, that would be hard to see without squash and stretch.
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