Everyone knows that science is fun. You will just need the right tools to teach it. Newton’s Cradle & Maxwell’s Wheel are two classic toys that demonstrate conservation of momentum and energy. Eisco’s Newton’s Cradle is one of the largest ones money can buy. It has 5 giant spheres that measure 1.96 inches in diameter. It has a wooden frame, weighing over 11lbs. It shows conservation of energy and momentum. As you can see, the ball in the middle barely moves as the force travels through as pressure wave.
Maxwell’s Wheel shows how energy goes from potential to kinetic and back. The spinning wheel combines with a string to create a yo-yo effect. As the wheel drops, gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The opposite happens at the bottom. The cycle goes on for a while but slows down due to friction. In the above video, we compared these two classic toys.
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