Pendulum: what sets the period
Two pendulums of different length swing side by side: the short one makes more swings. An oscillation and period 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.
Two pendulums of different length swing side by side: the short one makes more swings. An oscillation and period experiment for kids 8+.
One ball strikes a row and exactly one ball swings out from the other end. An interactive Newton’s cradle — a lesson on momentum and energy.
A piston on key P, a weight on a spring and a ball on a chain in one 3D scene. Mechanics for kids 9+.
Eight pendulums of different lengths swing together: first a travelling wave, then chaos, then order again. A 3D experiment for kids 9+.
A wheel rolls into a half-round ramp and climbs the other side almost to the same height. A chart shows the energy.
Two identical cars drive over bumps: the top one has only a spring, the bottom one a spring and a shock absorber. The top body bounces for a long time, the bottom one settles quickly.
A crank mechanism shakes the platform. A narrow tower falls, a wide house stands, and the same tower on soft springs and dampers survives the shaking.
Three doors get the same push. With no closer the door stays open, with a spring only it rushes back and bangs, and with a spring and a damper it closes smoothly.
Two identical cars drive over two bumps. The green one has springs only, the red one springs and shock absorbers: the red body settles quickly.
The platform sways from side to side. A tower of ten cubes falls almost at once while a pyramid of ten cubes stands.