@BENDOVER9810 Kinda. It takes more energy to pull a ball away if it's closer to the magnet, so the energy gained when the first ball is pulled close to the magnet is more than the energy needed to push the last one away. The extra energy makes it go faster. Energy is conserved because you have to put in energy to reset the mechanism.
@BENDOVER9810 It's an elastic collision which means both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. If you just have 2 balls of equal mass, firing one into the other will make the first one stop and the second one take all its momentum. If you have more, this effect just acts like a bunch of pairs of balls and the momentum all ends up in the last one.
it's the magnetic potential energy
catchersmitt0 3 weeks ago
@BENDOVER9810 Kinda. It takes more energy to pull a ball away if it's closer to the magnet, so the energy gained when the first ball is pulled close to the magnet is more than the energy needed to push the last one away. The extra energy makes it go faster. Energy is conserved because you have to put in energy to reset the mechanism.
BlazeOrangeDeer 3 weeks ago
how is it that when the ball touches the chain of balls the last one just snaps away?
BENDOVER9810 3 weeks ago
@BENDOVER9810 It's an elastic collision which means both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. If you just have 2 balls of equal mass, firing one into the other will make the first one stop and the second one take all its momentum. If you have more, this effect just acts like a bunch of pairs of balls and the momentum all ends up in the last one.
BlazeOrangeDeer 3 weeks ago
@BlazeOrangeDeer oh, so the cylinder causes this?
BENDOVER9810 3 weeks ago