Ball on a Ramp

Learning objectives

Use the prepared scene to investigate the following physical ideas:

• Gravitational potential energy
• Kinetic energy
• Acceleration on an incline

Available controls

The workspace lets you pause and play the scene, select its objects, edit the starting properties described below, reset the scene, and inspect configured live graph measurements.

1. Adjust the ramp angle in edit mode.
2. Place the ball near the high end.
3. Press Play and compare position, speed, and energy.

Expected observations

• The ball accelerates downhill.
• A steeper ramp produces a larger tangential acceleration.
• Potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases.

Model limitations

The model uses idealized rigid bodies and a discrete numerical time step. Rolling, friction, and contact losses depend on the selected scene properties.

Simulation output is educational and approximate. Verify important results with independent calculations or physical measurements.