How do I simulate a Newton's cradle?

Open this page and use the live Nuclear Decay Chain tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.

Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.

Can I use my own numbers?

Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a Newton's cradle from your own measurements.

Use case · powered by Nuclear Decay Chain

Nuclear Decay Chain for a Newton's cradle

Simulate a Newton's cradle live in your browser. This runs the real Nuclear Decay Chain solver — adjust the inputs, watch it respond instantly, and export the result. No install, no account.

For:Students Researchers Educators Engineers Hobbyists & Makers K-12 Students First Responders

Radioactive Decay

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Radioactive DecayLive

exponential decay · half-life

Controls

Speed1×

Every half-life, half the remaining atoms decay. After n half-lives, only (1/2)ⁿ is left — the basis of carbon dating and nuclear physics.

Presets

Half-life

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Half-life4.0

Time0.0

Remaining100.0%

Half-lives0.00

Governing equation

N (t) = N_{0} e^{- λ t}, λ = \frac{ln 2}{4.0} = 0.173

Reading this result: Each half-life removes half of whatever remains, so the curve falls steeply at first and then flattens into a long tail.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Radiometric Dating

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Radiometric DatingLive

reading the atomic clock

Controls

Presets

Remaining fraction

Radioactive isotopes decay at a fixed half-life, so the fraction remaining in a sample is a clock. Measure it and you can read the age: t = half-life × log₂(1/fraction). Carbon-14 dates organic material up to ~50,000 years; uranium-238, with a 4.5-billion-year half-life, dates the oldest rocks and the age of the Earth itself.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Half-life5.73e+3 yr

Estimated age5.7 thousand yr

Best fororganic remains < 50k yr

Governing equation

t = t_{1/2} lo g_{2} \frac{1}{0.50} = 1.00 t_{1/2}

Reading this result: About 50% of the Carbon-14 is left, which maps to roughly 1.0 half-lives of elapsed time.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

↓

Radiation Dose

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Radiation DoseLive

exposure, distance & time

Your dose vs common references (mSv, log scale)

Your exposure

0.0031

Dental X-ray

0.0050

Chest X-ray

0.10

Annual limit (public)

1.00

CT scan

7.00

Annual limit (worker)

20.00

Controls

Presets

Source activity (MBq)

Distance (m)

Exposure time (hr)

The three ways to reduce radiation dose are time, distance, and shielding. Dose builds with exposure time but falls with the square of distance — doubling your distance quarters the dose. Effective dose in millisieverts lets you compare any exposure to everyday references like a chest X-ray or the annual background dose. Educational estimate only.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Dose rate0.0031 mSv/hr

Total dose0.003 mSv

≈ bananas31

Risk levelvery low

Governing equation

D = \frac{Γ A}{r ^{2}} t = \frac{8.4 \times 1 0 ^{- 5} \cdot 37}{1 ^{2}} \cdot 1 = 0.003 mSv

Reading this result: At 1 m for 1 h the estimated dose is 0.003 mSv — about 31 banana-equivalents, a low everyday-scale exposure.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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About this simulation

The full Nuclear Decay Chain tool models a Newton's cradle with the same numerics engineers and scientists use — running entirely client-side. Change any parameter and the result updates in real time, so you can build intuition, check a design, or teach the concept without spreadsheets or installs.

More you can do with Nuclear Decay Chain

Nuclear Decay Chain for a projectile from a cannon Nuclear Decay Chain for a bouncing ball Nuclear Decay Chain for a pendulum clock Nuclear Decay Chain for a car braking Nuclear Decay Chain for a roller-coaster loop Nuclear Decay Chain for a satellite orbit Nuclear Decay Chain for a mass on a spring Nuclear Decay Chain for a skydiver's free fall

Other ways to simulate a Newton's cradle

Particle / N-Body for a Newton's cradle Heat & Wave Fields for a Newton's cradle GPU Compute (WebGPU) for a Newton's cradle WebGPU Fluid for a Newton's cradle GPU N-Body for a Newton's cradle GPU PDE Solver for a Newton's cradle

Frequently asked questions

How do I simulate a Newton's cradle?: Open this page and use the live Nuclear Decay Chain tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.
Is it free?: Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.
Can I use my own numbers?: Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive a Newton's cradle from your own measurements.