Question
Why is Newton's cradle an "almost-ideal" system? (1 point)
Friction and air resistance cause the balls to slow down eventually and stop.
The system would work more efficiently if more balls were added.
The balls continue on for an unlimited amount of time.
Friction and air resistance are negligible and the system continues to move indefinitely.
Friction and air resistance cause the balls to slow down eventually and stop.
The system would work more efficiently if more balls were added.
The balls continue on for an unlimited amount of time.
Friction and air resistance are negligible and the system continues to move indefinitely.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Newton's cradle is considered an "almost-ideal" system because **friction and air resistance cause the balls to slow down eventually and stop.** This means that while it demonstrates the principles of conservation of momentum and energy well in a theoretical sense, real-world factors lead to energy losses that prevent the system from moving indefinitely.