Maple Leaf International School

Physics Practical (A2) – Unit 6

Assignment-1
January 2021

Name :

ID Number :

Date :

Teacher’s signature :

Total Marks 10
Your Score
INSTRUCTIONS

Answer all parts of the question.

Your handwriting must be neat and clear.

You can use calculator, graph papers (if required).

Mark is given for each part of question in round brackets ().

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 Experiment 1: Momentum and momentum conservation

Set up the experiment as shown in the diagram with slotted masses fixed onto trolley A. Compensate for
friction by tilting the runway slightly. Check by giving one trolley a small push and confirming that it
runs down the runway with constant speed.

Soften the Plasticene and stick it to the front of one trolleys. Fix the drawing pin to the front of the other
trolley with the adhesive tape, so it is facing out from the trolley as shown. Put the two light gates quite
close together. This is to minimize the effects of friction as the trolleys collide.

Set the interface unit to record the speed of trolley A before the collision and the speed of the two
trolleys (A and B joined together) after the collision.

Put the trolley A at one end of the runway and trolley B just before light gate 2.

Give trolley A a push (not too large) so that it runs down the track, cutting through the light beam of
light gate 1 and colliding with, and sticking to, trolley B. The two trolleys will now travel on, the mask
on trolley A cutting through the light beam of light gate 2.

Repeat the experiment for differing initial speeds and trolley masses. Do not allow the trolleys to fall off
the bench.

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Analysis and conclusions

Use your results to test the law of conservation of momentum.

a) Calculate the total momentum of both trolleys before and after the collision in the table given below.
(6)

Exp Momentum Momentum

-1 -1
m1 / kg m2 / kg v1 / ms v2 / ms Before Collision After Collision
No.
m1v1 (m1+m2).v2

1 0.243 0.243 15 9

2 0.243 0.293 20 10

3 0.243 0.343 22 9

4 0.243 0.393 17 6

5 0.243 0.443 25 9

6 0.243 0.493 18 5

b) Comment on the most important sources of error in your experiment and how they might be reduced.
(3)

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c) State how we can ensure that momentum has been conserved from the given table. (1)

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