Billiards: collisions and momentum
A cue ball breaks a rack on a top-down table. Momentum passes from ball to ball — a collision experiment for kids 8+.
Interactive experiments for kids, students and teachers. Run each one right on the page, then open a copy in the Tymora editor and change mass, friction, elasticity or gravity. Every experiment comes with discussion questions and a version to try at home.
A cue ball breaks a rack on a top-down table. Momentum passes from ball to ball — a collision experiment for kids 8+.
A disk spins up with three balls at different distances from the center. Which flies off first? A rotation and friction experiment for kids 9+.
Two ladders lean on a wall: the steep one stands, the shallow one slides. Find out why ladders are set at about 15°.
Identical salt shakers stand on trays tilted 10°, 20° and 35°. Find the angle where static friction no longer holds.
Two carts with dummies hit a barrier. The belted one stays put, the unbelted one flies forward.
Two machines spin a drum with laundry. In the left one the load is spread evenly and the machine stays, in the right one it is in a single lump and the machine creeps across the floor.
Three identical cars with locked wheels slide at the same speed on dry asphalt, wet asphalt and ice. The stopping distance on ice is eight times longer.