Newton's cradle is described as an "almost-ideal" closed system because it demonstrates the principles of conservation of momentum and energy in a nearly perfect manner, but is affected by slight energy losses due to factors like air resistance, internal friction, and imperfect elastic collisions.
Why is Newton’s cradle (Newton’s balls) described as an “almost-ideal” closed system? Explain your reasoning in one sentence.
3 answers
like a 9th grader
Newton's cradle is called an "almost-ideal" closed system because it shows how momentum and energy work well together, but it still loses a little energy due to things like air resistance and friction.