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Inelastic Collisions

Purpose: To gather evidence that can be used to support a claim that total system momentum is or is
not conserved in an inelastic collision.

Background: The objects involved in a collision are often considered as a system. Provided that the
system of two objects is not experiencing a net external impulse, there would be no change in
momentum of the system. If one object within the system loses momentum, it is gained by the other
object within the system. The combined momentum of both objects would be conserved.

Getting Ready: Navigate to the Collision Carts Interactive in the Physics Interactives section of The
Physics Classroom website:

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

Path:
physicsclassroom.com => Physics Interactives => Momentum and Collisions => Collision Carts

Once the Interactive opens, resize it as desired. Select the Inelastic Collisions option. Experiment with
changing the Mass and the Initial Velocity of the two carts. Observe how the position of the carts
along the track can be changed by dragging. Learn to Start, Pause, and Reset the animation.

Collision 1: Blue Cart Initially at Rest

Set the initial blue cart velocity to 0 m/s. Set the mass values to different values. Run the simulation and
record the mass and velocity values.

Before Collision After Collision

v = ___5______ m/s v = _____3______ m/s

mRed = ___2____ kg mBlue = __1______ kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Collision After Collision ∆Momentum

___2___kg x ___5___m/s ____2___kg x 3.4 kg•m/s
___3.3___m/s
Red Cart
= _______10____kg•m/s
= ______6.6_____kg•m/s
 ___1____kg x ___0___m/s ___1___kg x -2.3 kg•m/s
___3.3___m/s
Blue Cart
= _____1______kg•m/s
= _____3.3______kg•m/s

System Total 11 kg•m/s 9.9 kg•m/s 1.1 kg•m/s

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Collision 2: Blue Cart Moving Slower than the Red Cart

Set the initial blue cart velocity to less than the red cart velocity. Position the blue cart in the middle of
the track. Use different mass values. Run the simulation and record the mass and velocity values.

Before Collision After Collision

v = ____5______ m/s v = _____3_____ m/s v = ___________ m/s

mRed = ___2_____ kg mBlue = ___1_____ kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Collision After Collision ∆Momentum

____2___kg x ___5___m/s ____2___kg x __4.3__m/s
Red Cart 1.4 kg•m/s
= ______10_____kg•m/s = ______8.6_____kg•m/s

____1___kg x ___3___m/s ____1___kg x __4.3__m/s

Blue Cart -1.3 kg•m/s
= ______3_____kg•m/s = _____4.3______kg•m/s

System Total 13 kg•m/s 12.9 kg•m/s 0.1 kg•m/s

Conclusion
Make a Claim as to whether momentum is conserved or not conserved. Identify the Evidence that
provides support for your claim; refer to specific sets of values in each data table that serve as credible
evidence. Write a paragraph or more of sound Reasoning to argue why the evidence logically lead to
the claim you are making. Write well. Write logically. Write thoroughly. Use a separate page of paper
if necessary.

- There is an inaccuracy in the first collision test and second simulations, this is because in an inelastic
momentum, the momentum is still conserved but there is an indication of kinetic energy loss. In both
simulations, the net momentum were not equal to zero, because of this, the results are inconclusive.

©The Physics Classroom, All Rights Reserved This document

should NOT appear on other websites.

Screenshots:
From The Physics Classroom’s Physics Interactives http://www.physicsclassroom.com

Elastic Collisions

Purpose: To gather evidence that can be used to support a claim that total system momentum is or is
not conserved in an elastic collision.

Background: The objects involved in a collision are often considered as a system. Provided that the
system of two objects is not experiencing a net external impulse, there would be no change in
momentum of the system. If one object within the system loses momentum, it is gained by the other
object within the system. The combined momentum of both objects would be conserved.

Getting Ready: Navigate to the Collision Carts Interactive in the Physics Interactives section of The
Physics Classroom website:

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

Path:
physicsclassroom.com => Physics Interactives => Momentum and Collisions => Collision Carts

Once the Interactive opens, resize it as desired. Select the Elastic Collisions option. Experiment with
changing the Mass and the Initial Velocity of the two carts. Observe how the position of the carts
along the track can be changed by dragging. Learn to Start, Pause, and Reset the animation.

Collision 1: Blue Cart Initially at Rest

Set the initial blue cart velocity to 0 m/s. Set the mass values to different values. Run the simulation and
record the mass and velocity values.

Before Collision After Collision

vred = ______3_____ m/s vred = ___________ m/s vblue = _____0_____ m/s

mRed = ____2_____ kg mBlue = _____1____ kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Collision After Collision ∆Momentum

____2___kg x ___3___m/s ___2____kg x ___1___m/s 4 kg•m/s
Red Cart
= ______6_____kg•m/s = ______2_____kg•m/s

____1___kg x ___0___m/s ___1____kg x __4____m/s 4 kg•m/s

Blue Cart
= _____0______kg•m/s = ______4_____kg•m/s
 0 kg•m/s
System Total 6 kg•m/s 6 kg•m/s

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document should NOT appear on other websites. From The Physics
Classroom’s Physics Interactives http://www.physicsclassroom.com

Collision 2: Blue Cart Moving Slower than the Red Cart

Set the initial blue cart velocity to less than the red cart velocity. Position the blue cart near the red cart
so that the collision occurs near the middle of the track. Give the blue cart a smaller mass. Run the
simulation and record the post-collision mass and velocity values.

Before Collision After Collision

vred = _____3____ m/s vblue = ____1____ m/s vred = ___1.7____ m/s vblue = ___3.7
_____ m/s

mRed = ____2____ kg mBlue = ____1____ kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Collision After Collision ∆Momentum

____2___kg x __3____m/s ____2___kg x __1.7__m/s
Red Cart 2.6 kg•m/s
= ______6_____kg•m/s = _____3.4______kg•m/s

___1____kg x __1____m/s ____1___kg x __3.7__m/s

Blue Cart -2.7 kg•m/s
= _____1______kg•m/s = _____3.7______kg•m/s

System Total 7 kg•m/s 7.1 kg•m/s -0.1 kg•m/s

Conclusion
Make a Claim as to whether momentum is conserved or not conserved. Identify the Evidence that
supports your claim; refer to specific sets of values in each data table. Write a paragraph or more of
sound Reasoning to argue why the evidence logically lead to the claim you are making. Write well.
Write logically. Write thoroughly. Use a separate page of paper if necessary.

- The first simulation indicated the best example of elastic collision as it displayed a net momentum
of 0 kg•m/s, which indicates a conserved momentum, this is due to the equal distribution of velocity
to the objects. In the second simulation on the other hand, is inconclusive, because the net momentum
is -0.1 kg•m/s, which is not the supposed behavior of an elastic collision. An elastic collision is a
collision in which there is no net loss in kinetic energy in the system as a result of the collision.
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document should NOT appear on other websites.
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 From The Physics Classroom’s Physics Interactives http://www.physicsclassroom.com

Momentum Conservation in Explosions

Purpose: To gather evidence that can be used to support a claim that total system momentum is or is
not conserved in an explosion.
Background: The objects involved in an explosion are often considered as a system. Provided that the
system of two objects is not experiencing a net external impulse, there would be no change in
momentum of the system. If one object within the system loses momentum, it is gained by the other
object within the system. The combined momentum of both objects would be conserved.
Getting Ready: Navigate to the Collision Carts Interactive in the Physics Interactives section of The
Physics Classroom website:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Interactives/Momentum-and-Collisions/Collision-Carts
Path: physicsclassroom.com => Physics Interactives => Momentum and Collisions => Collision
Carts
Once the Interactive opens, resize it as desired. Select the Explosions option (at the bottom).
Experiment with changing the Mass of the two carts; leave the Initial Velocity at 0 m/s. Observe how
the position of the carts along the track can be changed by dragging. Learn to Start, Pause, and Reset
the animation.

Explosion 1: Red Cart More Massive than the Blue Cart

<IMPORTANT>Set the initial velocities of both carts to 0 m/s. Set the mass of the red cart to be the
greater mass. Run the simulation and record the mass and velocity values.</IMPORTANT>
Before Explosion After Explosion
At Rest. v = ___0____ m/s v = ___0____ m/s

mRed = _3 kg mBlue = 1 kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Explosion After Explosion ∆Momentum

__3__kg x 0 m/s __3__kg x 3.3m/s
Red Cart 9.9 kg•m/s
= 0 kg•m/s = 9.9 kg•m/s

__1__kg x 0 m/s __1__kg x 10 m/s

Blue Cart 10 kg•m/s
= 0 kg•m/s = 10 kg•m/s

19.9 kg•m/s
System Total 0 kg•m/s 19.9 kg•m/s
 From The Physics Classroom’s Physics Interactives http://www.physicsclassroom.com

Explosion 2: Red Cart Less Massive than the Blue Cart

<IMPORTANT>Set the initial velocities of both carts to 0 m/s. Set the mass of the red cart to be the
smaller mass. Run the simulation and record the mass and velocity values.</IMPORTANT>
Before Explosion After Explosion
At Rest. v = _____0___ m/s v = ___0_____ m/s

mRed =_ 1 kg mBlue = 3 kg

Use mass and velocity values to complete the following momentum table.

Before Explosion After Explosion ∆Momentum

_1__kg x 0 m/s __1__kg x -10 m/s
Red Cart -10 kg•m/s
= 0 kg•m/s = -10 kg•m/s

_3__kg x 0 m/s __3__kg x 3.3 m/s

Blue Cart 9.9 kg•m/s
= 0 kg•m/s = 9.9 kg•m/s

0 kg•m/s -19.9 kg•m/s Results don’t conform

System Total

Conclusion
Make a Claim as to whether momentum is conserved or not conserved. Identify the Evidence that
provides support for your claim; refer to specific sets of values in each data table that serve as credible
evidence. Write a paragraph or more of sound Reasoning to argue why the evidence logically leads to
the claim you are making. Write well. Write logically. Write thoroughly. Use a separate page of paper if
necessary. – An explosive collision will always result to an unconserved momentum, due to an external
force acting upon to a supposed closed system, this is clearly observed in simulation one, where the net
momentum is 19.9 kg•m/s, which is not equal to 0m which means that the momentum is not conserved.
Simulation two on the other hand, is inconclusive, due to the data it is giving.
Screenshots: