TheLaboratory

ElasticCollisionAnalysisLab
TeachersGuide

Topic:
MomentumandCollisions

Thefollowinginformationisprovidedtothestudent:

Question:
Whatistheevidencethatmomentumisconservedinanelasticcollisionbetweentwocarts?Inwhat
mannerdoestheevidencesupportthelawofmomentumconservation?

Purpose:
Togatherconvincingevidencethattotalsystemmomentumisconservedinanexplosionlikeimpulse
betweentwostationarycartsANDtodescribehowtheevidencesupportsthelawofmomentum
conservation.

AcompletelabwriteupincludesaTitle,aPurpose,aDatasection,andaConclusion/Discussionof
Results.TheDatasectionshouldincludetwotablesoneforcollecteddataandoneforcalculated
data;theyshouldbeorganizedinarowcolumnformat.Severaldatatrialsshouldbeperformedinan
efforttoaccomplishthestatedpurpose.Oneexamplecalculationshouldbeshownforeachtypeof
calculation.TheConclusion/Discussionshouldprovideathoroughanalysisoftheresults,identifying
successfulandunsuccessfultrials;specificevidencefromeachtrialwhichindicatesuccess(orlack
thereof)shouldbeelaboratedupon.Percenterrororpercentdifferencecalculationsshouldbe
performedandacompleteerroranalysisincludedwithinthediscussion.

MaterialsRequired:
Twocarts;accompanyingmasses;massbalance;track;twocomputerinterfacedmotiondetectors.

DescriptionofProcedure:
Twocartsareplacedonatrackwiththeirrepulsivemagnetsfacingeachother.Cart1ispositionedon
theendofthetrack;Cart2ispositionedinthemiddleofthetrack.Motiondetectorsareplacedonboth
endsofthetrackonetodetectCart1andtheothertodetectCart2.Themotiondetectorsareprepared
tocollectdata.Cart1isgivenalightpushwhileCart2remainsstationaryinthemiddleofthetrack.
Thetwocartsarerepelledawayfromeachotherandmovewithseparatespeeds.Themotiondetectors
areusedtodeterminethespeedofCart1beforethecollisionandthespeedofthetwoindividualcarts
afterthecollision.Massesareplaceduponthecartstoalterthemassofthetwocollidingobjectsand
measurementsarerepeated.

AlternativeMaterialsandProcedure:
Airtracksandgliderscanbeusedasasubstituteforthetracksandcarts.Aphotogatesystemcanbe
usedasasubstituteforthecomputerinterfacedmotiondetectors.

SafetyConcern:
Thereisalwaysahigherthanusuallevelofriskassociatedwithworkinginasciencelab.Teachers
shouldbeawareofthisandtakethenecessaryprecautionstoinsurethattheworkingenvironmentisas
safeaspossible.Studenthorseplayandofftaskbehaviorsshouldnotbetolerated.

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009
TheLaboratory

Suggestions,Precautions,Notes:
1. PascoScientificisoneofseveralcompanieswhichsellslowfrictioncartsequippedwithmagnets
(forelasticcollisions),Velcrostrips(forinelasticcollisions),plungers(forexplosions),additional
massesandamasstray.Theseareidealforcollisionstudiesandothermechanicslabs.Their
lowestcostmodelisME6950.
2. Tolengthenthelifetimeofthecarts,remindstudentstorollthecartsatverylowspeeds.Also
remindstudentsthatyourearsstillworkandareabletohearcartsbouncingoffthetrackandonto
thetable.Alsoremindstudentsthatyouaretheonewhoultimatelyassignsthemtheirgradeinthe
course.
3. Theacquisitionofdatafromthecomputercanbedifficult.Directionsforacquiringdatafromthe
computerwereprovidedonapreviouslab.
4. StudentswillhaveatendencytogiveCart1apushandleavetheirhandabovethetrack,thus
interferingwiththemotiondetectorsabilitytodetectthemotionofacart.Demonstratefor
studentstheproperandimpropermeansofpushingthecart.
5. Attentionshouldbegiventothe+/valueforvelocity(andmomentum).Adirectionconvention
shouldbedefinedandusedconsistentlythroughoutthelab.Becausetheconventionmaynotbe
thesameastheconventionusedbytheinterfaceequipment,studentswillhavetobecautious
aboutinserting+/signsinfrontofavelocityvalue.
6. Ifitisthepropermomentinthecurriculum,consideranalyzingthekineticenergyofthesystem
beforeandafterthecollision.

AuxiliaryMaterials:
None

ScoringRubric:
M8. ElasticCollisionAnalysisLab Score
Included,labeledandorganizedallpartsofthelabreport.
Datasectionincludestwoorganizedtables;measuredvaluesandcalculated
valuesareseparated;columnheadingsandunitsareprovided.Appropriate _____/_____
attentionwasgivento+/signsonvelocityvalues.Measuredvaluesare
reasonablyaccurate.Calculationsarecorrect;examplecalculationsare
shownforp1,p1',p2',ptot,andptot';workisorganizedandlabeled.
Conclusion/DiscussionofResultsdescribeshowtheevidencesuggeststhat
momentumisconserved(ornotconserved);actualdatavaluesare
referencedinanefforttoestablishtheproof.Anerroranalysisisconducted;
apercentdifferenceiscalculated,comparingptotandptot';workisshown.

ConnectionstoThePhysicsClassroomTutorial:
Thefollowingreadingisasuitableaccompanimenttothislab:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/momentum/u4l2d.cfm

ConnectionstoMindsonPhysicsInternetModules:
Sublevels7and9oftheMomentumandCollisionsmoduleareasuitableaccompanimenttothislab:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mop/module.cfm

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009