This Newton’s Cradle Refuses to Quit Thanks to Timed Electromagnetic Kicks
SMRTR summary
A Newton's Cradle that never stops swinging sounds like a physics violation, but one clever builder has come remarkably close to the real thing.
By hiding an electromagnet beneath one of the end balls, the device delivers a tiny, precisely timed nudge each swing, replacing exactly the energy lost to heat, sound, and air resistance. A proximity sensor detects the ball's descent, and a microcontroller calculates the perfect moment to fire.
The whole system runs on a single rechargeable battery, tucked inside a custom base that, fittingly, resembles a miniature warship. Small permanent magnets help suppress unwanted vibrations in the middle balls, keeping the motion clean and rhythmic.
The result keeps swinging for hours, looking nearly identical to the desk toy you'd find in any executive's office, with its secret machinery completely hidden beneath a magnetic cover concealing the USB-C charging port.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to TechEBlog.
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