Newton's Cradle

Learning objectives

Use the prepared scene to investigate the following physical ideas:

• Momentum transfer
• Impulse
• Pendulum motion

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. Drag the left ball outward in edit mode.
2. Press Play to release it.
3. Try releasing two balls together.

Expected observations

• The impulse travels through the touching balls.
• A similar number of balls leave the opposite side.
• Small losses cause the motion to decay.

Model limitations

The balls and strings are simplified rigid-body constraints. Contact duration, sound, elastic deformation, and material losses are not modeled in full detail.

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