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Abstract
Impulse-momentum theorem is a basic matter of the mechanics. A zero cost
experiment can be used in the classroom, without any apparatus, in order to
verify the fundamental relationship between an impulsive force and the linear
momentum variation. Using various data, the use of an electronic sheet such
Excel gives an ‘impulse’ to put in practice the ‘errors-analysis’ theory.
Figure 1. Experimental setup. One dart has mass 1.20 g ± 0.03 g and the other a mass 0.80 g ± 0.03 g.
Uncertainties are taken in 3 digits of the pocket balance.
Figure 2. In all launches, the darts still land well determining the final impact.
1 m1v1(0) = F ∆t1
h = gt 2
(2) (5)
2 m2v2(0) = F ∆t2
where t is the time of flight. From equation (1) the where m1 and m2 are the masses of the darts and
time of flight is v1(0) and v2(0) the initial velocities horizontally
January 2017 2 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n
A zero cost experiment on the ‘impulse-momentum theorem’
directed. The problem of the ranges d1 and d2 d1 m2
reached by each dart becomes a kinematical prob- =
(7)
d2 m1
lem because the range d of a body horizontally
launched from a height h with initial velocity v(0) In our case, using a pocket electronic balance
is given by equation (4). having 0.01 g resolution:
Let x the same path of the dart through each
straw and supposing the same force F acting on m1 = 1.20 g ± 0.03 g
each dart. Therefore, one can write m2 = 0.80 g ± 0.03 g
m1
1 F ≈ 1.50 ± 0.07 (8)
x= ∆t12 m2
2 m1
1 F The agreement between expected ratio and the
x= ∆t 22 (6)
2 m2 experimental ratio found in 25 shots from the
same height h = 0.9 m, could be estimated in
From equation (6) the times intervals Δt1 and Δt2 about 5%.
are inserted into equation (5) and the initial veloc- A typical example of a measurement is here
ities of each dart inserted in equation (4) giving reported using Excel for data elaboration, enclos-
the conclusion: ing the Excel sheet.
January 2017 3 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n
S Ganci and D Lagomarsino Oneto
Referring to the above Excel sheet, the exper Received 31 August 2016, in final form 26 October 2016
Accepted for publication 11 November 2016
imental value for the square root of the masses doi:10.1088/1361-6552/52/1/013002
ratio (m1/m2)1/2 is:
m1 Reference
≈ 1.2 ± 0.1
m2 [1] Van den Berg E, Nuñez J N and Guirit A 2000
Cotton buds, momentum and impulse Phys.
where the uncertainty is assumed in the rounded Teach. 36 52–3
standard deviation and the agreement with the
root square ratio in equation (7) is about 4%.
January 2017 4 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n