Newton's Cradle

Does Temperature Change Newton’s Cradle?

For my project, I was trying to figure out if the Newton's Cradle is affected by temperature. First, I would have to form a hypothesis. My hypothesis was that the heat would affect how many times the Newton's cradle would go back and forth before it stopped. Then I would have to get my materials. My materials for this project included a metal Newton’s Cradle, Oven mitts, freezer, oven, and a stopwatch. Then I could start experimenting.

To do this experiment, I moved a Newton's Cradle into an oven for 5 mins on 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When I removed it from the oven, I put it on a base with a post. I lifted the first ball to the post to start the movement of the Newton’s Cradle. I recorded how many times it went back and forth in clicks and in seconds. I did this three times and found the average. The average was 85. I repeated the process with the Newton’s Cradle at room temperature and after putting the Newton’s Cradle in the freezer. My average was still 85 clicks and roughly 27 seconds. My hypothesis was incorrect, temperature does not affect the performance of the Newton’s Cradle. I could improve my experiment by repeating the experiment a few more times. Overall, this was a very interesting experiment that was fun to try on my own.

I used these links to find an idea

http://crestsciencefair.pbworks.com

livescience.com

.dps61.org.