Build an idea.
Arrange ramps, dominoes and moving parts.
BUILD / PREDICT / TRY AGAIN
A little push.
A chain of possibilities.
Make a machine. Follow the motion. Discover why one small change can change everything.
Start tinkering ↘Make a prediction.
What will move? Where will the chain stop?
Follow the evidence.
Slow it down, compare a run, then try a change.
CHOOSE YOUR FIRST QUESTION
Six ways to set things in motion.
Ready-made experiments. Fully editable.
DOWNHILL DELIVERY
Can you guide the ball home?
BUILD MODE · 0.00 s
3 parts
EDIT SELECTED PART · DRAG TO MOVE
Launch ball
How this part works
Starting values · Apply resets the run. Undo restores your edit.
Delivery complete.The ball reached a goal.
Both views · one shared motion plane
Drag parts to move them. Drag the background to orbit; scroll to zoom.
BALL SPEED0 px/sPeak 0 px/s
HEIGHT ABOVE FLOOR510 pxBall centre
DOMINOES FALLEN0 / 0More than 46° from upright
SURFACES TOUCHED0First contact with each surface
MAKE IT YOURS
Select. Adjust. Try again.
Editing returns the machine to its starting position. Undo restores your last build edit. Coordinates and speeds use illustrative pixel units.
THE FIRST PUSH
Set the starting conditions.
Build a domino row
Start beside the last domino, or at the left of an empty floor. A tile must physically reach its neighbour.
Your builds stay in this browser. Runs stop after reaching a goal or 30 simulated seconds.
BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY
What do you think will happen?
LOOK FOR EVIDENCE
Every run tells a story.
Orange: this run
Run the machine to collect measurements every 0.1 seconds.
Keep a run, change one thing, and compare the traces.
CAUSE & EFFECT
The motion journal
First contact with each surface, plus fallen dominoes and goals.
- Press Run or One moment to start observing.
Read the exact measurements
01 / EVERYDAY CONNECTION
A slide, a swing, a row of books.
Ramps guide motion like a playground slide. A pendulum moves like a swing. Dominoes show how one falling object can start the next.
02 / A FAIR EXPERIMENT
Change one thing.
Keep a run, then change a ramp angle, domino spacing or launch speed. Compare at the same time on the chart. A different outcome is a clue to investigate.
03 / KNOW THE MODEL
A model you can question.
This is an illustrative 2D physics model shown in 3D. Dominoes pivot at fixed bases; pendulums have fixed anchors. Powered wheels add energy. It is a learning tool, not an engineering simulator.
Model rules, units & keyboard controls
Gravity acts downward. The ball collides with ramps, dominoes, wheel rims, pendulum bobs and habitat walls. Only falling domino tips interact with other dominoes; ramps and wheels do not collide with one another. Collisions lose energy; powered wheels supply motion. Rollers transfer motion through grip; the six rotating paddles are solid contact surfaces. Wheels do not mesh with or drive other wheels. Motor torque and ball spin are not simulated.
Distances are pixels in a fixed 1000 × 600 model, regardless of screen size. Speed is px/s; gravity is px/s². A 3D view does not add sideways motion. Fixed simulation steps make slower playback show the same experiment. Each run stops at a goal or 30 simulated seconds.
In either viewer: Q selects, W or V moves, E rotates, R scales and T opens Transform handles. Snap uses 10 px movement and 15° turns. Shift keeps proportions while resizing; Ctrl/Cmd+Z undoes and Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z redoes. Escape cancels an active handle drag. In 2D: arrow keys move the selected part; Shift moves farther, Delete removes it, Enter places a chosen tool, Space plays/pauses. In 3D: drag the background to orbit, Shift-drag to pan, scroll/pinch to zoom; use the Part selector and position fields for precise keyboard editing. View returns the camera home.