Motion & Mechanics
Giant Newton’s Cradle
An oversized version of the classic Newton’s cradle: lift one ball, and energy travels invisibly through the entire row.
An oversized version of the classic Newton’s cradle: lift one ball, and energy travels invisibly through the entire row.
The Science Behind It
This behavior follows the conservation of momentum and energy: both are conserved overall during the collision and are transferred through the rigid balls with very little loss. At this larger scale, the effect is much easier to observe than with a small desk-top cradle, where it often happens too quickly.