Gravity

Gravity is a constant force that acts on all masses. The gravity mode in Cinderella is designed to model the gravitational force at the earth's surface, that is, a constant force field that acts on an object with nonzero mass. The force on a mass-object caused by gravity is dependent on two parameters: gravity's strength and the value of the mass of the object (you can consider this as the weight of the object, though technically, mass and weight are two different concepts). The exact relation between these three magnitudes is described by the following equation:

Gravity also has a direction toward which a mass-object is drawn. In Cinderella you create a gravitational force by a press/drag/release cycle similar to that for creating a line in Add a Line mode. The gravitational force field is represented by a black arrow that points in the direction of the force. The longer the arrow, the stronger the gravitational force.

The following pictures demonstrate how gravity acts on a mass with nonzero initial Velocity. The first picture shows the situation before the simulation is started. The second picture shows a trace of the mass-object during the simulation: a ballistic parabola.

As a second example we consider the action of gravity on a string of masses connected by Rubber Bands, whose endpoints are pinned to fixed positions in the drawing. Without a change in the default settings of CindyLab, the system would oscillate wildly. However, if we add some friction to the Environment, the system will enter a state of equilibrium after some time. In this equilibrium situation the chain of masses forms a perfect parabola.