h a l f b a k e r yMagical moments of mediocrity.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
A desktop Newton's Cradle constructed from spheres of identical mass but differing in size to reflect the planets in our solar sustem to scale.
(optional Pluto sphere at no extra charge)
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Annotation:
|
| |
This would be better called a Kepler's Cradle,
shirley? |
|
| |
I wonder which materials you could use. Jupiter is 5700
larger than Mercury so you'd struggle to fabricate one
sphere 5700 times larger than another while still having the
same mass. Even with the larger spheres being hollow it
would be difficult to get them to bounce correctly. Still a
neat idea though. |
|
| |
If Mercury were a pellet of tungsten and Jupiter were
constructed almost entirely out of airgel with just a very
thin hard shell, you could get pretty close and still keep
the planets 'solid'. |
|
| |
Air friction will slow Jupiter too much to disturb
Mars. you'll need a glass vacuum case. |
|
| |
Instead of a hard shell I would suggest all aerogel
(painted with a very thin coat of paint) with a rod
running through at contact points. Handle with care. |
|
| |
There's a black hole in my desk. It's supposed to be
where the cables are meant to pass through.
However, I suspect it's where my pens and paper
clips are going, when I'm not looking. |
|
| |