Wrecking ball: energy of motion
A heavy ball on a rod swings down and smashes a brick wall. An energy and momentum experiment for kids 7+.
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 heavy ball on a rod swings down and smashes a brick wall. An energy and momentum experiment for kids 7+.
Three skiers ride down the same hill: with good wax, poor wax and none. Compare who glides farthest on the flat.
A wheel rolls into a half-round ramp and climbs the other side almost to the same height. A chart shows the energy.
The same ball falls onto the floor, a soft trampoline and a stiff one. On the floor it stops dead; on the trampolines it bounces up again.
Three identical swings: no pushes, pushes along the motion and pushes against it. Rules push the seat as it passes the lowest point.
Three identical cannons with springs of different stiffness fire at 45°. The stiffer the spring, the farther the ball goes: twice as stiff, roughly twice as far.
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.