Analyzing the effects of multiple adhesives on elastic collisions and energy loss in a Newton’s Cradle

The energy conservation in a system of objects in collision depends on the elasticity of the objects and environmental factors such as air resistance. One system that relies heavily on elasticity is the Newton’s Cradle. The elasticity of the spheres is what allows prolonged movement, but these spheres also excessively collide, causing more energy to be lost. Were an adhesive to be added to these spheres, then the elasticity would decrease, and so too would the chaotic movements that cause loss of energy. We aimed to determine the extent to which these adhesives serve to mitigate or worsen the chaotic movements and elastic collisions. Knowing the extent to which adhesives may mitigate radical interactions could allow for the building of more efficient procedures reliant upon elastic collisions, such as an elastic and inelastic collision apparatuses. We hypothesized that for all tested types/levels of adhesives, the final sphere would travel a shorter distance than the control. We also hypothesized that the rate at which the distance traveled decreased would increase as more adhesives were added. Although the maximum distance reached for all trials with adhesives was less than the control, each adhesive type varied in its effect on how the maximum distance reached changed. Results also varied pertaining to the correlation between the layers of adhesives and decreased rate of swings. Our findings display complex effects of multiple adhesives on elasticity and confounding movements within a system that relies heavily upon these characteristics to perpetuate motion in the system.