Energy Conservation Ramp
Release a ball on a curved ramp and watch its kinetic and potential energy trade off as it swings back and forth — with friction slowly converting motion into heat.
Energy Conservation Ramp Simulation
The Physics Behind This Simulation
As the ball rolls down the ramp, its height decreases and its speed increases — potential energy (PE = mgh) is converting into kinetic energy (KE = ½mv²). With no friction, the total mechanical energy stays exactly constant, so the ball climbs back up to the same height on the other side, forever:
Friction doesn't destroy energy — it converts mechanical energy (KE + PE) into heat, which this simulation tracks as a separate bar. The Kinetic Energy Calculator solves the KE = ½mv² relationship this simulation animates in real time.
Things to Try
Zero friction, forever motion
Set friction to 0 and release the ball. It swings back and forth forever, trading kinetic and potential energy with no loss — perfect energy conservation.
Change the mass — motion doesn't change
Try a 1 kg ball and a 50 kg ball from the same height. The motion is identical — mass cancels out of the acceleration. Only the joule values in the readouts scale with mass.
Switch to the Moon
Lower gravity means a slower swing and a lower peak speed at the bottom, even from the same starting height.
Crank up the friction
Set friction near its maximum and watch the ball settle at the bottom within a few swings, as the "Heat Lost" readout grows at the expense of the total mechanical energy.