Collision Lab -- Air Track

Caleb Boampong
Abstract
In this lab momentum was analyzed in multiple collision situations. This was done through the
causing of elastic and inelastic collisions on carts on a Dynamic Track. Through this, we were
shown that momentum was conserved in all of the collisions. It also showed us that kinetic
energy was only conserved in elastic collisions. This proved to us that momentum was in fact
conserved. But there could have been some sources of error that could have affected the initial
and final momentums of the collisions.

Introduction
According to the law of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum, during a
collision energy can be lost but momentum can not, it also states that energy can neither be
created or destroyed, but can be changed from one form to another. During an elastic collision
the energy/ momentum is transferred from one object to another without being transformed. The
goal of this experiment is to create an elastic collision where the energy and momentum would
be the same after the collision.

Method/Setup
For each case we had to
1.
2.
3.
4.

Determine the initial momentum and kinetic energy.

Determine the final momentum and kinetic energy.
Compare whether momentum and energy are conserved.
Draw conclusions.

Results
In each calculation the initial momentums were calculated using the formula of
pi=m1 v 1 + m2 v 2 The final momentums were calculated using the equation of
pf =m1 v 1 +m 2 v 2 In the first inelastic scenario we calculated the first cart with a 189.3kg
i

weight with an initial velocity of 0.563 and 0.228 and a final of 106.4 and -46.6. In scenario
three we got 0.513 and 0.458 for the initial velocities and 96.9 and -85.6 for the final velocities.
In scenario four we got 0.690 and 0.702 for the initial velocities and 130.4 and -131.2 for the
final velocities. In machine one we got 0.751 and 0.487, and in machine 2 we got 0.125, 0.145,
and 0.127.

Conclusion
These calculations that we got helped illustrate the nature of momentum, and showed us that
momentum was always conserved. This taught us the very important concept of the conservation
of momentum. Also the lab taught us how to properly work with carts on a dynamic track.