Newton's cradle

British  

noun

1. an ornamental puzzle consisting of a frame in which five metal balls are suspended in such a way that when one is moved it sets all the others in motion in turn

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Example Sentences

And if all you wanted was a giant Newton’s Cradle standing amid a field of abstract neon-tinted towers, well, not to worry.

From New York Times

The question is whether said actions manifest as direct one-to-one payback or serve as the middle spheres in a narrative Newton’s Cradle — not moving much, but transmitting the force produced by an adjacent object on one end to send its twin on the opposite side flying it the air, before it returns its own wallop in kind.

From Salon

There’s “Newton’s Cradle,” an executive desk toy with five gleaming ball bearings in an immobile tangle; “Plughole,” a close-up video of water streaming into the six round holes in a stainless-steel drain, one after the other; and “Domino Effect,” a line of roughly 4,600 black dominoes crossing the gallery floor face to face.

From New York Times

On her desk she needs Fat Brain Toys’ Newton’s Cradle for $21.95.

From Seattle Times

They told the recipient to expect a gift similar in quality to a popular museum shop item, Newton’s Cradle, a gizmo with five swinging silver balls that demonstrates the conservation of momentum.

From New York Times