Below is an example of an animation project from Module 5:Project 6: Digital Animation. The specific animation model is the
Newton's Cradle which conceptually demonstrates the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum. The
animation was created using Adobe Animate and uploaded to YouTube. Click below the image to view more details.

Newton's Cradle Animation


This was an animation created in Adobe Animate


Here's a .gif version of this video! Here's the original Flash video.

Digital Animation: Newton's Cradle



Most do not know it by its name (I certainly did not) but easily recognize it as that fun desk toy. But it also does a great job of demonstrating how energy is transferred between balls and from one form (potential) to another (kinetic) and back to other. This animation depicts the laws of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum.

This took a while as I built it several times to get a better effect (and because I kept messing up!).

I created a total of 6 layers:

- Structure: Containing the top horizontal bar.
- Ball1: The first red ball (left)
-Ball2to4: The 3 blue balls in the middle
- Ball5: The last red ball (right)
-Labels: Text labels
- EnergyTransfer: Separate label for energy transfer

With the 3 layers dedicated to the balls, I used the Oval tool and created circles. I used red at the two ends as they signaled changes for kinetic & potential energy. I kept the middle balls blue to designate static state with transfer of energy between them as labeled by the "Energy Transfer" label.

In the Labels layer, I added the description at the bottom and labels of where the red balls swing marking the maximum for each energy state/form.

I marked the timeline by inserting keyframes and I created/added Motion Tweening. I moved both the ball and vertical wire by selecting/highlighting both components, moving the balance ball at the center to the top to make it the pivot point and rotating it as a whole. I used a combination of the built in ruler, grid lines, and even a pape-based Post-It note (!) to make sure that the red balls at either end were moved at equal distance/angles.

I based the timing on 1 second (at 30 frames) for a complete cycle from the start of the movement on the first red ball until the end of the last red ball striking back at the blue ball. This was based on a number of YouTube videos of actual Newton's Cradles.

I based the physics (at least my interpretation) from the following sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_cradle

https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/newtons-cradle.htm

https://www.livescience.com/39271-how-does-newtons-cradle-work.html#:~:text=Newton's%20Cradle%20demonstrates%20this%20last,swinging%20of%20the%20last%20ball