Experiment 202

Conservation of Momentum: The Ballistic

Pendulum
Flores, Arvin Christian S.
PHY11L/A7
October 30, 2015

Introduction
First thing comes to mind when people heard the word momentum is sports especially for Filipinos
when it comes to basketball when Team A has a plenty of momentum, they will be hard to stop or in basketballwise, defend. This is why coaches always say You are gaining momentum, we can win this game. Keep it up! .
Physics-wise Momentum is a quantity of motion of a moving body or simply a mass in motion, also it can be say
that momentum consist of how much mass do the object have and how fast will do the object go, which of course
lead to the equation of p = mv. Also it is important to know that momentum is a vector quantity it means it has a
magnitude and direction. Some good of example that includes momentum and vector quantity is when 2 Japanese
wrestler pushing each other in a wrestling match. The first wrestler has a momentum of 50 kg m/s going west, and
the other one has a momentum of 30 kg m/s going east. So after collision there will be a single unit that has 20 kg
m/s combined momentum. The conservation of momentum by definition the total momentum of the two objects
before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the two objects after the collision. conserved mean
constant. Newtons third law of motion plays a big role in this topic because when two object collides the forces
in both objects are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. A good example of conservation of momentum is
when a person 1 has a money of 500 pesos and person 2 has a money of 300 pesos, the total amount of money
they have is 800 pesos. When person 1 gave 100 pesos to person 2, they will both have 400 each which equals to
800 pesos. In summarization the momentum lost by one object is gained by another object which lead to a total
amount which is constant.

State Problem/Purpose

The main purpose of this experiment is to determine the velocity of the steel ball using a ballistic pendulum. This
ballistic pendulum is used for measuring angles and momentum. Also it is useful in demonstrating properties of
momentum and energy. Ballistic pendulum is an apparatus where a ball is launch into the pendulum. The
pendulum is initially at rest but acquires energy from the collision with the ball. Using conservation of energy it is
possible to find the initial velocity of the ball. Part of this experiment is determining the change in potential
energy and also the process where it will change from kinetic energy to gravitational energy. It is done by first
getting the change in height, the difference of the final and initial height. To get the change in potential energy, the
equation below is used:

u= 2 gy

where g= acceleration due to gravity (9.8

m
s2

y= the increase in height ( y 2 y 1 )

We then computed the velocity of the steel ball before collision with the equation

v 1=

( m1 +m2 )
2 gy
m1

This equation was derived from the equation

where m1 =mass of the ball

m2 =mass of the pendulum
y= increase in height of the pendulum

m 1 v 1=

(m 1+ m2 )
u
m1

In part 2 of the experiment, we used kinematics specifically projectile motion to get the initial velocity of the ball
with the equation. Air resistance and other external forces are not included

v 1=x

g
2y

This equation was derived from the constant acceleration equation where Initial velocity is 0 and the acceleration
is equal to gravity, therefore:

1
2
y=V o t+ a y t
2

1 2
y= g t
2
Use formula transformation to find t,

t=

2y
g

We all know that horizontal motion doesnt change or rather constant so,

v=

x
t

v 1=x

g
2y

with x =the average horizontal distance travelled

by the ball

g=the gravitational constant

y=the height of the launcher to the

ground

Then the velocity of the part 1 and part 2 will be computed by using the percentage difference.

EV 1EV 2

100
EV 1 + EV 2
2

Hypothesis
After analyzing the experiment to be done. If we launch the apparatus and get the final height then maybe
the velocity of the steel ball before collision can be determine. Trial and error will play a big role here because in
real life standpoint air resistance and other external forces are included. In the latter part of the experiment the
hypothesis in this area if the mass if the mass was launch from the reference point to the ground then maybe the
velocity of the steel ball before collision can also be found.

Materials

1 set ballistic pendulum with accessories

1 pc meter stick
1 pc carbon paper

The Ballistic Pendulum itself; Source: https://www.google.de/search?

q=ballistic+pendulum+lab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMI8Zn59ZrmyAIV
wY2UCh02yQGZ&biw=1242&bih=606

Procedure
Before doing the experiment, always discuss with the professor the rules and safety in the experiment because
these apparatus can break glasses and other sensitive objects like our face especially the eyes. Extreme precaution
is really need in this experiment, there is no need to rush it because mostly students do not have enough
experience in this kind of experiment. In the first part of the experiment, the mass of the ball and the pendulum
was identified. Also the initial height of the pendulum was measured. After the pendulum bob was set to 0 but
technically the pendulum was set for 5 because it cant be push to 0 maybe because some defect in the apparatus
itself. After setting the pendulum bob to 5 and putting the ball in place, the steel ball was fired to the pendulum
holder. The angle was noted. By inspection if the angle values is far from each other, a repeat to the procedure is
necessary. After seeing that the values were close to each other, the average angle was calculated. Also the final
height of the pendulum was identified. Lastly the increase in height was computed. This value was used to get the
change in potential energy. The velocity of the steel ball and the pendulum after and before collision was
computed.

In the latter part of the experiment, the initial velocity was determined by using projectile motion. Just like the
experiment way back in Physics 10, there was a carbon paper and a bond paper in the ground. The vertical
distance between the launching point and the ground was measured. The steel was launched to the carbon paper
in the ground and it launched the ball and was done for five times. The horizontal distance travelled by the ball
was measured and the mean of it was computed. Just like the first part, the velocity of the steel ball was
computed.

Results/Observations
The tables show the results of the velocity of the steel ball before collision in presents the results for
initial velocity of the steel ball for both methods. This also shows that the results of the two velocity are nearly
identical. (321.49 cm/s and 349.75 cm/s). When the ball collides with the pendulum bob, perfectly inelastic
collision takes place because the kinetic is not conserve due to the ball stays in the pendulum bob so they stick
into one unit and it is safe to say that in this collision, the kinetic was completely becomes 0. Using conservation

of momentum to the collision brings the initial velocity of the ball. After the collision, the pendulum bob will
swing upward until all of its kinetic energy is converted into gravitational potential energy, storing energy when it
is held at an elevated position. The errors in this experiment plays a big part mostly on the measurements
especially the measuring of the height and horizontal distance of the projectile motion and the initial and final
height of the pendulum. The misaligned of the launcher could give a possible error in the experiment. Another
source of errors includes misreading of the angles and may be due to presence of friction because of the nature of
the apparatus itself which lead us to a 8.49% error.

Analysis/Calculations
Table 1:
Given m1 = 65.875 g, m2 = 241.4 g
y1 = 6.5 cm, y2 = (9+8.8+9+8.8+9)/(2) = 8.92 cm
y = y2 y1 = 8.92 cm 6.5 cm = 2.42 cm
u=

2 gy

2(980)(2.42)

= 68.87 cm/s

v2 = 0 cm/s
v1 = (m1 + m2)/(m1) (

2 gy

( 65.875 g+241.4 g )
2( 980)(2.42) = 321.49 cm/s
65.875 g

Table 2:
x = (143.8+144.4+144.8+143.9+145) = 144.38 cm, y = 83.5 cm
v1 = (144.38 cm)

980
2 ( 83.5 cm ) = 349.75 cm/s

Percent Difference =

(321.249349.75)/(

321.249+349.75
) x100% = 8.49%
2

After doing the experiment, it was proven that the ballistic method can be more accurate than the trajectory
method because based on my observation, if the meter stick were used in the finding the horizontal distances in
the trajectory method, from that there will be immediately an error, also when launching it from the reference
point to the ground, there will be lots of external forces that will intervene in the trajectory method. This is why
theres a less chance of getting the same value in the trajectory method than the ballistic method. The ballistic is

just straight up firing the launcher and by that, an almost accurate angle can be determine and the height although
there will a slight error but still it is less than the trajectory method. An accurate angle, mass of steel ball and
pendulum can make up for it. If momentum is conserved during the collision, then the sum of the steel balls and
pendulum bobs momentum after the collision should be the same as before the collision. The momentum lost by
the steel ball should equal the momentum gained by the pendulum bob. Also inelastic collision states that total
momentum of the system before collision equals the total momentum after collision so the total momentum of the
first part is conserved. The theory suggests that the total energy of the system is conserved during the collision
and the momentum of the system after the collision is the same with the original momentum of the bullet. The
total energy of the system will not be conserved because the perfectly inelastic collision where the kinetic energy
was lost due to the bonding of the two unit. Kinetic energy will not always be conserved, because it can turn into
other forms of energy like potential energy

Conclusion
It was stated in theory that the total momentum in an isolated system is constant. For a collision occurring in
an isolated system, according to the law of conservation of momentum the total momentum of the two objects
before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. This is due to the external forces that the
system experience. It means total momentum will a bit change if when external forces are intervening the system
like maybe air resistance. I conclude that energy and momentum are always conserved but kinetic energy is not
conserved in an inelastic collision because maybe of friction but it will transform in other types of energy.

Table 1. Getting the Initial Velocity of the Steel Ball, Ballistic Method
Mass of the steel ball, m = 65.875 g
mass of the pendulum, m = 241.4 g
Trial
Angle

26

Initial height of the

y1 = 6.5 cm

25.5

pendulum
Final height of the

y2 = 8.92 cm

3
4

26
25.5

pendulum
Increase in height
Velocity of the pendulum

y = 2.42 cm
u = 68.87 cm/s

26

before collision
Velocity of the pendulum

v2 = 0 cm/s

before collision
Velocity of the steel ball

v1 = 321.249 cm/s

5
Average angle: 25.8

before collision

Table 2. Getting the Initial Velocity of the Steel Ball, Trajectory Method
Gravitational constant, g = 980 cm/s2
Trial
Horizontal Distance, x
Height from the reference
y = 83.5 cm
1
143.8 cm
point to the ground
2
144.4 cm
3
144.8 cm
Velocity of the steel ball
v1 = 349.75 cm/s
4
143.9 cm
before collision,
5
145 cm
Average x: 144.38 cm
g

v 1=x

2y

Table 3. Determining the Percentage Difference

Percentage Difference,
Percent Difference = 8.49 %
% diff =

(Ev 1Ev 2)/

( Ev 1+2 Ev 2 )

x100%

Literature Cited

Fundamentals of Physics Extended, 10th Edition

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/momentum

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/linear-momentum/momentum-tutorial/v/introduction-tomomentum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum