Getting physics into the bounce

There is hardly a dynamic computer graphics demonstration that does not involve bouncing objects of some sort. Anticipating on-screen collisions does induce adrenalin flow and may explain the attention passers-by give such displays. Usually this visual realism is achieved without regard to the underlying physics of collisions. These displays possess no value other than being attention getters and entertainment providers. Yet a closer look at the particle collision phenomenon reveals the root of many natural processes and, as such, contains value for scientific computation