Working procedure of quality newtons cradle balance balls

Although the working procedure and physics behind quality newtons cradle balance balls is quite simple, people often ask: what if we drop two balls instead of one? Why don't quality newtons cradle balance balls blast both balls at half the speed?

Each ball imparts enough energy to move the other (assuming they are the same size), so the number of balls shot outward will equal the number of balls falling. Second, it is obvious from the momentum (mv) formula that if the mass is the same (which is true for all balls), then to maintain momentum, the velocity must also remain the same. Third, quality newtons cradle balance balls will eventually stop due to energy loss.

In an ideal world, quality newtons cradle balance balls would represent elastic collisions (kinetic energy remains the same before and after the collision), but the collision becomes inelastic due to energy loss.