Name: Mohammed Chowdhury

ID: 2015001854

Course number: Phy111 Lab

Lab section: 2

Exp. (6)
Conservation of linear
Momentum

Date: 09/05/2016
Objective:
To measure momentum before and after an elastic collision.

Introduction:
The purpose of this activity is to measure the amount of momentum before and after an
elastic collision. Use Motion Sensors to measure the motion of two carts before and after an
elastic collision. Use Data Studio to record and display the data. Determine the momentum for
both carts before and after the collision. Compare the total momentum of the two carts before
collision to the total momentum of both carts after collision.

Reference:
Giancoli. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 3rd Edition

Theory:
When objects collide, whether locomotives, shopping carts, or your foot and the
sidewalk, the results can be complicated. Yet even in the most chaotic of collisions, as long as
there are no net external forces acting on the colliding objects, one principle always holds and
provides an excellent tool for understanding the dynamics of the collision. That principle is
called the conservation of momentum. For a two-object collision, momentum conservation is
easily stated mathematically by the following equation.

m1v1  m2v 2  m1v1'  m2 v '2

If net external forces are ignored, the sum of the momenta of two carts prior to a collision (left
side of equation) is the same as the sum of the momenta of the carts after the collision (right side
of equation).
The change in momentum for each cart is its mass times its change in velocity.

m1v1  m2 v 2
  
m1 v1'  v1  m2 v '2  v 2 

Equipment Required
 PASCO Interface (for 2 sensors)
 Motion Sensors (2)
 1.2 m Dynamics Track
 Dynamics Carts (2)
  Balance

Setup
1. Set up the PASCO Interface and computer and start DataStudio.
2. Mark one Motion Sensor as ‘Sensor 1’. Connect this Motion Sensor into the first port on the
PASCO Interface. Connect the second Motion Sensor into the second port on the interface.
3. The DataStudio file has Graph displays of Position and Velocity versus Time. Data recording
is set at 20 Hz for the Motion Sensors.
Make sure that magnets are installed in one end of each cart so the carts can repel each other
during the collision. Label one cart "Cart 1" and label the other "Cart 2".
4. Measure the mass of each cart in kilograms and record the values in the Lab Report section.
5. Place the track on a horizontal surface with the fixed end stop to the left. To level the track,
place a cart on the track and see if the cart rolls one way or the other. Use the leveling screw on
the fixed end stop to raise or lower that end until the track is level and the cart will not roll one
way or the other on its own.
Note: It is very important that the track is level to get the best results.
6. Set the first Motion Sensor on the left end of the track. Put the second Motion Sensor to the
right end of the track. (The first Motion Sensor is the first one you connected to the interface.)
7. Adjust each sensor so it can measure the motion of a cart as it moves from the end of the
track to the middle and back again. Put the Range Setting on the sensors to 'Cart'.
8. Place Cart 1 on the left side of the track and place Cart 2 on the right side. Be sure that the
hook-and-pile (Velcro) ends of the carts are facing each other. Usually, motion away from the
sensor is positive and motion toward the sensor is negative. For this exploration, a calculation is
done on the data from Sensor 2 to reverse the directions. For both sensors, motion to the right is
positive and motion to the left is negative.

Procedure:
NOTE: The procedure is easier if one person handles the carts and a second person handles the
computer.
 1. Position each cart 15 cm from the Motion Sensors.

2. Click ‘Start’. Gently push the carts and let them roll toward each other.

 Continue collecting data until the carts have collided and stuck together near the middle of
the track.

3. Click ‘Stop’.

Analyze
Examine the Graph: Find the Change in Velocity for Each Cart
Find the change of velocity from just before the collision to just after the
collision.
1. Select "V Cart 1 Run #1" in the Legend box. Click the ‘Smart Tool’
button.

Move the ‘Smart Tool’ to a point on the curve where the collision begins. Move
the cursor to the lower right corner of the ‘Smart Tool’ until the "delta" appears.
Drag the "delta" Smart Tool to the point where the collision ends. Note the
Delta X and the Delta Y (0.2000 and -0.65008 in the example).
Select "V Cart 2 Run #1" in the Legend box. Click the ‘Smart Tool’ again.
Repeat the process to find Delta X and Delta Y (0.2000 and 0.65017 in the
example).

Data collection (tables):

1) m1=m2 = 0.5 kg

V1 Cart 1 V2 Cart 2 M1V1-m2V2 V’1 Cart1 V’2 Cart2 -M1V’1+m2V’2

m/s m/s kgm/s m/s m/s kgm/s

0.3 0.29 0.005 0.2 0.21 0.005

0.2 0.16 0.02 0.1 0.06 0.02
0.28 0.22 0.03 0.22 0.28 0.03
0.39 0.33 0.03 0.37 0.31 0.03
0.3 0.29 0.005 0.2 0.21 0.005
0.2 0.16 0.02 0.1 0.06 0.02

2) m1=2m2

V1 Cart 1 V2 Cart 2 M1V1-m2V2 V’1 Cart1 V’2 Cart2 M1V’1+m2V’2-

m/s m/s kgm/s m/s m/s kgm/s
0.3 0.4 0.1 0.09 0.38 0.1
0.33 0.31 0.175 0.04 0.27 0.175
0.36 0.41 0.155 0.05 0.21 0.155
0.33 0.31 0.175 0.04 0.27 0.175
0.38 0.43 0.165 0.08 0.125 0.165
0.3 0.4 0.1 0.09 0.38 0.1

v1 + v'1 = v2 + v’2
0.21 + 0.2 = 0.29 + 0.3
0.06 + 0.1 = 0.16 + 0.2

Conclusions:
Theoretically, the momentum before and after an elastic collision it is supposed to be

equal. Experimentally, one can notice slight variation. The primary reasons for the variation is

because of the friction between the track and the wheels, the mass of both the carts might vary

slightly as an error due to the industrial productions while manufacturing the cart or any slight
damage. Another important factor for the variation is that when one pushes both the carts with

the left and the right hand, the applied forces might have some variations.