Collision Cart Lab Name ____________________________

Physics

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Momentum-and-Collisions/Collision-
Carts/Collision-Carts-Interactive

Perform the following collisions and record your results:

Before After

Perfectly Slow Stopped ??? ???

Change in
Elastic Momentum

(K=K’) v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖
𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
1. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
2. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

3. Was momentum conserved in this collision? How do you know?

Before After

Perfectly Slow Fast ??? ???

Elastic Change in
Momentum

(K=K‘) v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖
𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
4. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
5. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

6. Was momentum conserved in this collision? How do you know?

 Before After
Fast Medium ??? ???

Inelastic Change in

(K≠K‘) Momentum

v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖
𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
7. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
8. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

9. Was momentum conserved in this collision? How do you know?

Before After
Stopped Fast ??? ???

Inelastic Change in

(K≠K‘) Momentum

v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖
𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
10. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
11. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

12. Was momentum conserved in this collision? How do you know?

 Before After
Stopped
??? ???

Explosion Change in
Momentum
v = ______m/s
v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖

𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
7. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
8. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

9. Was momentum conserved in this explosion? How do you know?

Before After
Slow
??? ???

Moving Change in
Momentum
Explosion v = ______m/s
v = ______m/s v = ______m/s

Left Cart Momentum (P) = mass x velocity ∆𝑃 = 𝑃𝑓 − 𝑃𝑖

𝑘𝑔𝑚
Pleft initial = __________
𝑠 𝑘𝑔𝑚
mleft = ________ kg Pleft final= __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚 ΔPleft = ______
𝑠
𝑠
Right Cart Pright initial = __________
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑘𝑔𝑚
𝑠
𝑘𝑔𝑚
ΔPright = ______
𝑠
mright = ________ kg Pright final = __________
𝑠

Total 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚 𝑘𝑔𝑚

PTotal initial = __________ PTotal final = __________ ΔPTotal = ______
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
10. What was the change in momentum of the left cart? __________________ 𝑠

𝑘𝑔𝑚
11. What was the change in momentum of the right cart? __________________ 𝑠

12. Was momentum conserved in this explosion? How do you know?