Newton's Cradle

Newton's cradle demonstrates conservation of momentum and kinetic energy through elastic collisions. When n balls strike, n balls fly out at the same speed — a consequence of both conservation laws simultaneously. The simulation uses impulse-based collision resolution with coefficient of restitution e = 1 (perfectly elastic).

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Conservation of momentum: Σmv = const  |  Conservation of KE: Σ½mv² = const (e=1)
Pendulum period T = 2π√(L/g). Click a ball to pull it up.