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Interactive Newton's Cradle Lab

A captivating, client-side physics lab that brings the classic Newton's Cradle to life on your screen. This interactive simulation allows you to experiment with fundamental physics principles by adjusting variables like the number of balls, their elasticity (bounciness), gravity, and air drag. A real-time data plot visualizes the conservation of momentum and energy within the system, providing a deeper understanding of collision dynamics. It's the perfect tool for students, teachers, and anyone curious about physics.

Configuration

Drag one or more balls in the canvas to set initial displacement. Click Start to run the simulation. The chart below shows total momentum and kinetic energy over time.

Simulation

Click & drag balls to set initial position. Release to start motion.
Elastic collisions use coefficient of restitution.

System Data

Total Momentum
Total Kinetic Energy

About This Tool

An interactive physics simulation of Newton's Cradle. Adjust the number of balls, elasticity, and gravity to explore the laws of conservation of momentum and energy.

newtons cradle physics simulator conservation of momentum conservation of energy collision simulator physics lab

Tips & Features

  • All simulation runs locally in your browser (privacy-first).
  • Use elasticity to explore conservation laws; lower elasticity -> energy loss.
  • Charting is implemented with Canvas API to avoid external libraries.

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