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PHYSICS LAB;IE~X;
P;,;ER
;;l::
M;-ENT;.-;:;-N~~"t;'{"")~- ----,
Cotus·10Ns
(CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM)
LAB RF.PORT
Date:
Nam e:
Partner's Name:
Registration No:
Physics Section: .. Registration No:
't Instructor's Name:

I. PURPOSE:
To analyze the chanp,e in momentum of a system by three methods: elastic collision
against a fixed barrier, ~_lastic collision between two obi·ects and inelastic colHsion.
r ,.
II. T !·IE(JRY .

When two objerts, here we use carts, collid':? and there is no external force acting
u pon them (or, equivalently, when the resultant of external forces is zero), the
vector s um of their momentum, p= mf> , is always conserved. This means that the
to tal m omentum ilfter the collision (;;; +p;) is the same as that before the collision
(ii,+1i~ ):
(6-1)
Or 111 1i\ +lll z Vi = nl1 ·f,; + 1112 v; (6-2)
·w here, res pectively, i\ and and ii;'
ii, are the earls' velocities before the collision, o;
an: their velocities after the collision, and 1111 and 1112 are the carts' masses.
If no extra external force is applied, then the total energy (the sum of the kinetic
energy (KE) and polential energy (U)) is conserved as well. If the objects move
along thr horizontal, the potential energy dors not change and consequently, only
the kineti•: energy. KE :a ½111 1v2 plays a role. ·n1crefore,

(·'\. ) - f'\- K )
L., KE i,cfo1ccolh,i?11> - IL, E •h~rcolli~iu,,s
1 2 1 2 1 ,:; 1 ,2
-1111 1! 1 + - 1111 T/2 = :;· 1111 l/1 + - ml V2 (6-3)
2 2 ~ 2
In othf:r word c, tl)e rntio of tj,e total kinetic energies afle1: collision to that before
CO JI .ISi·On ·IS eq Ua J tO One.· (KE") belorero:1
· ,si'-"".s -- (KE'I oltercolliJlc," · ThEl . conservatio1l• of.. . ..

mech an ical energy is ~atisfied only by perfectly elastic colHsions.

(I KE)aflercollisioru =J (6-4)
(IKE~11re<olluioru
fl. EQUll'MENT
Air trnck and Carts.
)
' 111 _EXI'EJUMEITTAL PROCEDURE

1. The air track will be assembled and leveled by ·the· laboratory l<chni<ian.
Please do not attempt any adjustments of the air track. If you have trouble, ask
the instructor for assistance.

2. Place the glider in motion ·by applying a very small force on the gider in a
direction parallel to the air ~ack. Do not attempt to move the glider i1 the air
supply is not turned on.
;,, Description of the buttons on the timer
. ST ART: it starts the timer manually
STOP: :it stops the timer manually
RESET: it resets the timer before starting a new count
. SELECT: it ailows to see the partial times 6.1
A Elastic collision aga inst a fixed barrier 'd the
.
When one of me objects (the second one) .is a hxe
. d barner,
. we maydcons1 1n thisercase
mass of the first body negligible when compare
we have:
d to that of the secon ·

v; ~ - 11
1

Lhat is, the first body will bounce back with the same b speed.
t 75 cm away from the end of
1,ct to the Si socket, a ou ·
1. Place a sensor, ';,.(?-llfler e d. tance of 125 cm, connected to th~ i
Lhe trnck. Place another sensor at a IS
5
socket (Figure 6·1)

.....--- -:--:.
.. .. . . ..' .. . .. .., .e.
-u- ~~-.·
.·.·. ·.· ·
.. ·
. ..... ....
...... ...... .
1
Apply J v~ry ,m.tll force

. ~ ·1. _ . . . 1 a fixed barrier

Figure ,. . Collision Catt 1thagains
.
cart on it along w1'th a 10 mm foil
Activate the compres,o'. and p'.ace ul~ lo theca,ttoW•~tl""''.d t,ack. the
2. the sensors . GO'e • sh&hl p h , STOP button. Reco,d
be.>~~~~ ,,., " ~ 1 . passed both sensors, push t e
..
:3. After the cart 11as th · tantaneOU!;• velocity (v) and
d 612 Calculate e ins i,,' 1 d
instantaneou
s time 6.'1 an · _ t'.!l Recor
·/61 in cm/s and r - It' I.
. .
the re llO Und coeff1c1ent r , ( ) where v = 6.~
1

d 1 ·n table 6-1. 3
your a a i th ·t and repeat step
4. Change the ma.,cs of e cat

2
 Mass ol c:art (g)
100
125
150
5. If r == 1 this me an s U,a t
.. . . . . .~~a~-~-~~-·· ···· ···· ···· ···· ···· ···· ··· ···· ···· ···· ···· ·· .... ... .
6. lf r < l this
. . . ...
B. Ela c co ll·i~i~~· b~~e~~- ~~
sti - ~~~~ ····· ························· ···· ·· ·... ····
n in fig ure 6-2.
l • Set up the eq uip nte nt as sh ow
V V 2 =0
1
S1 S2
-
.. ......
. i -a- .,,...
.. ..

Fig ure 6-2: Elastic collision - Se tup

sso r an d plact> the car t (1112) on it alo ng wiili a 10 mm foil
2. Ac tiv ate the lO mr ire d track.
c11 tht> sen so rs Gi ve a sli gh t pu lse to the car t tow ard s the en
b~twc nated
air on in the lin ear air tra ck 1fold car t (1112) at res t Ln a dr.sjg
3. Tu rn the
the car t (1111) is in motion.
sp ot h~tv:ecn the sen sor s until e 6h an d
the ear l (1111) ag ain st the ca rt (1112) Re co rd the ins tan tan eo us tim
4. Pu sh
6f2 . Ca lcu lat e the ins tan tan
eo us ve loo tie s (VJ an d v'2)
le 6-2.
lcu Jat e the ve loc ity (v'1 ) usi ng Eq (6-2). Re co rd yo ur da ta in tab
5. Ca
ge the ma sse s of ca rts (1111 an d 1112 ) an d rep eat steps 3 an d 4.
6. Chc\n
Ta ble 6-2
v'2(cm/s) v'1 (emfs)
vi (em fs) D.t 2 {s)
m, (g) 1112 (g) t:,. t1 (s)

100 100
12 5 100
150 100
10 0 125
10 0 150
in
7. ls the collision ela sti c? Ex pla
- II the carts d
ty pe o f col!isio
In
"' l

0 not
n OnJy th
IIS j 0
n
separate after U
1e collision th
case the second . ~ rnornentum is co . ' . e.latter is called inelastic. In such ..
Vi.After th . . cart IS at rest th nserved.
e co1J1s1on th , e system's
e system's mom . momentum before the collision is m 1
I entum IS (1111 +1112) VJ .
l · Set up th . ~ v1 ""(1111 +111 2 ) v
e equipment as show . fi , (6-5)
n n m gure 6-3.
• 7 ½=O
st
52

a) Before Collision
"'2

SI
cs2_ VI

b) After Collision

Figure 6-3: Elas tic coll1s ion

2 . Turn the air on in the linear air b·ack. Hold cart (1112) at rest in a designated
spot betw een the sensors until the cart (1111) is in motion.
3 !"'ush the c.u·t (rl11) against the cart (1112). Record the instantaneous time !:Iii
ar.d !.\!:,. Calcul,ite the instantaneous velocity (v, and v1) where v =m/1!.t .
4 . Civ1ngc 111 masses of carts and record your data in table 6-3.
Table 6-3
Before the collision After the collision
- K;
'111 m2 Lll1 VJ !momentum VJ !momentum KJ
6/2 (s)
(g) (g) (s) (emfs) (g.cm/s) (erg) (cm/s) (g.cny's) (eq~)
-
100 100
125 100 I '
100 150 I I 1 erg = 1 dyne. l cm ::: 10·5 N 10-2 m = 10·7 J -~

5. Is the comsion elastic? Why?