For this project, we were asked to illustrate a scientific concept in 15 seconds or less using vector animation we created from scratch. The first thing that came to mind was the physics concepts behind a Newton's Cradle. While they may be seen as desktop toys or novelties, the simplicity with which the principle of conservation of momentum could be illustrated made me excited to test out my digital animation skills.

To create this animation, I started with the Canva animated video platform. I selected a visually interesting sphere and duplicated the shape five times in a straight line. Next, I used the “Create Animation” tool to click and drag the first sphere to the left and back to the right to simulate a swinging motion. Then, I inserted a bright green arrow to visually show the transfer of momentum through the three spheres in the middle. Finally, I used the same free animation tool to click and drag the fifth sphere in a swinging motion from right to left. I exported the short animation to an MP4 file and then uploaded the raw animation to Clipchamp video editing software. Because the original animation was only 7 seconds long, I duplicated the file on the editing stream. Next, I recorded the audio and then added title text to reflect the concept demonstrated by the animation.