Marana 07 Impulse and Momentum Collision Lab

Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

2nd Semester AY 2020-2021
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Name: Jan Herson Marana Rating:

Course/Block
: BSEE 1B Date:
Activity No. : Collision Lab

Learning At the end of this activity, the student must be able to:
Objective: 1. Add momentum vectors – by components and by vector addition;
2. Apply the law of Conservation of momentum;
3. Determine the impulse on an object involved in a collision; and
4. Determine the role of elasticity on the outcome of collisions.
Apparatus: PhET Simulation link:

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/collision-lab/latest/collision-lab_all.html
Description: The simulation consists allows you to change the velocity and mass of up to five balls that will
collide in two dimensional collisions. When you open the simulation make the following setting
changes:
• activate velocity and momentum vectors
• activate the momenta diagram and show paths
• deactivate the reflecting border
Pre-Requisite Fill in the blank: Momentum and Impulse

Skills: • Newton’s third law can also be phrased in terms of momentum: for any closed system of
objects, the total momentum remains ___Constant__. Note that momentum can be
exchanged between objects in a closed system. However, the magnitude of the change in
momentum for one object must be ____equal_______ to the magnitude of the change in
momentum of the other object.
Prepared by: Noli M. Esperas Jr. Page 1 of 7

LEARNING ACTIVITY
• A change in momentum for an object is also referred to as an

_____________Impulse________________.
• Fill in the appropriate units for each quantity:
momentum: ___ kg•m/s________ impulse: ______ N⋅s______
Exploration: 1. Open the Explore 2D tab
2. Begin with two balls with masses of 2kg and 3 kg. Change the velocity of each ball (by
dragging on the velocity vector) until the total momentum is close to zero. Adjust the scale
on the Momenta Diagram until it just fits inside the grid, then copy the vector diagram in the
space to the right.
total
3. Set the Elasticity to 0.0, then run the simulation. Describe what happens to the motions of
the balls after the collision; how does this relate to the motion of the center of mass?
If the elasticity is set in 0.0 the ball with masses of 2kg and 3kg will move toward each other
and will stick together After the collision, the two balls will move together to the left
direction since the ball with larger mass (3kg) is located at the right and the smaller mass
(2kg) is on the left. The two balls continue to move to the left, the reason for this is that
center of mass has the value of 2.5kg which is located at the center of the two balls.
3. Rewind, set the Elasticity to 50%, and run the simulation again. Record the total initial and
final kinetic energies of the system in the spaces below.
𝑬𝒌𝒊 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖 𝑱 𝑬𝒌𝒇 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟔 𝑱


LEARNING ACTIVITY
Rewind, set the Elasticity to 100%, and run the simulation again. Record the total initial and
final kinetic energies of the system in the spaces below.
𝑬𝒌𝒊 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖 𝑱 𝑬𝒌𝒇 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟖 𝑱
Describe the effect the elasticity had on the motions of the balls after the collision.
When there is no elasticity the balls move and attach together to the left direction. While
with 50 % elasticity the balls bounce back in the opposite direction slowly. With 100%
elasticity, the motion is the same with 50 % elasticity but they move faster.
Did the elasticity affect the total momentum of the balls after the collision? Yes, the
momentum of the balls varied individually, however the system’s total momentum did
not change.
Analysis: 1. Use two balls, with masses of 2kg and 3 kg. Change the velocity of each ball (by dragging on
the velocity vector) such that there is a significant, non-zero, total momentum, and that their
initial directions are not along either axis (not purely east/west or north/south). Arrange the
initial locations of the balls so that will collide obliquely!
Adjust the scale on the Momenta Diagram until it just fits inside the grid, then copy the
vector diagram in the space to the right.
total
Before the Collision

2 kg Ball 3 kg Ball
vx (m/s) vy (m/s) vx (m/s) vy (m/s)

LEARNING ACTIVITY
Component
Velocities 1.91 m/s 1.02 m/s -1.72 m/s 1.42 m/s
px (kgm/s) py (kgm/s) px (kgm/s) py (kgm/s)
Component
Momenta 3.82 kgm/s 2.04 kgm/s -5.16 kgm/s 4.26 kgm/s
Total calculation: calculation:
Momentum √(3.82)2 + (2.04)2 = 4.33 √(−5.16)2 + (4.26)2 = 6.69
calculation: calculation:
Direction (°)
2.04 4.26
𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 (3.82) =28.10˚ 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 −1.16 =-74.77˚
2. Activate the more data button, set the elasticity to 70%, and run the simulation. Transfer
the data into the table below then calculate the total momentum and direction of each ball.
After the Collision

2 kg Ball 3 kg Ball
vx (m/s) vy (m/s) vx (m/s) vy (m/s)
Component
Velocities -0.48 m/s -0.56 m/s -0.12 m/s 2.47 m/s
px (kgm/s) py (kgm/s) px (kgm/s) py (kgm/s)
Component
Momenta -0.98 kgm/s -1.11 kgm/s -0.36kgm/s 7.41kgm/s
Total calculation: calculation:
Momentum √(−0.48)2 + (−0.56 )2 = 0.74 √(−0.12)2 +(2.47)2 = 2.47
calculation: calculation:
Direction (°)
−0.56 2.47
𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 (−0.48) = 49.40˚ 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 (−0.12) = −87.22˚
3. Verify the Elasticity of the Collision
(0.5)(2)(0.74)2 + (0.5)(3)(2.47)2 9.70𝐽
2 2
= × 100 = 11.29%
(0.5)(2)(4.33) + (0.5)(3)(6.69) 85.88𝐽
How does this compare to the elasticity set in the simulation? ____The elasticity set in the
simulation is 70% and the elasticity of the collision is 11.29%, therefore the elasticity was
58.71%__

LEARNING ACTIVITY
4. Apply the Law of Conservation of Momentum to analyze the collision in two ways: 1) by
components, and 2) using a vector diagram.
Component Method
pix = p fx piy = p fy
(-5.16+3.82) = (-0.98-0.s36) (-1.11+7.41) = (4.26+2.04)
-1.34 kgm/s = -1.34 kgm/s 6.3 kgm/s = 6.3 kgm/s
Was momentum conserved in both component directions?

______________Yes_____________________
Vector Addition: p2kg + p3kg = ptotal

Total Initial Momentum Total Final Momentum
(vector ) (vector diagram)


LEARNING ACTIVITY
Calculation – magnitude and direction (sine or Calculation – magnitude and direction (sine
cosine law) or cosine law)
√(4.332 ) + 6.692 − 2(4.33)(6.69)𝑐𝑜𝑠45 = √0.742 + 2.472 − 2(0.74)(2.47)𝑐𝑜𝑠45 =
𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 =4.75 𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 2.02
Was momentum conserved within the limits of accuracy in the simulation?

_______Yes_________
5. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the impulse on the 2 kg ball.
vector diagram calculation (magnitude and direction)
Impulse= 0.74 – 4.33 = -3.59
6. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the impulse on the 3 kg ball.
vector diagram calculation (magnitude and direction)
Impulse= 2.47 – 6.69 = -4.22


LEARNING ACTIVITY
7. Compare the magnitude and direction of the impulse on each ball during the collision. How do
the impulses relate to Newton’s 3rd Law?
During the collision, the magnitude and direction of each ball’s impulses were calculated
from their changes in magnitude. We know from Newton's third law that the forces in a
collision are equal, so the times must be equal as well. This implies that because the
impulse on each object is the same, the difference of momentum is also the same. But in
this case the impulses of both objects
Conclusion: Summarize, in a brief paragraph, what relationships you have learned from this simulation.
Ensure that you address each of the objectives from page 1.
The activity begins with the portion where you will need to adjust the velocity, mass, and total
momentum. The total momentum must be close to zero. The first thing that I have learned from the activity
was the equation of vector addition, which is where the two vectors can be added to determine the result
(resultant). As we recall Newton’s Law of Motion, that the net force experienced by the object was determined
by computing the vector sum of all individual forces acting upon that object and this will lead to the total
momentum. Every moving object has momentum, which is a measurement of mass in motion. From the
measurement or equation of the momentum, you can see that both the velocity of the object and the mass
have an equal impact on the amount of momentum. Before the collision happened, the amount of momentum
was also equal to the total amount of the system after the collision. Aside from that, the impulse was carried by
subtracting the initial momentum to the final momentum of the ball. In an elastic collision, both the kinetic
energy and the momentum are conserved. The two balls from the simulation will collide and bounce off to each
other. As a result, there will be no loss in speed but the direction of momentum does change when the elasticity
is set to 100%.

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Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Name: Jan Herson Marana Rating:

Activity No. : Collision Lab

Apparatus: PhET Simulation link:

Pre-Requisite Fill in the blank: Momentum and Impulse

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

• A change in momentum for an object is also referred to as an

Prepared by: Noli M. Esperas Jr. Page 2 of 7

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Before the Collision

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

After the Collision

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Was momentum conserved in both component directions?

Vector Addition: p2kg + p3kg = ptotal

Prepared by: Noli M. Esperas Jr. Page 5 of 7

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

√(4.332 ) + 6.692 − 2(4.33)(6.69)𝑐𝑜𝑠45 = √0.742 + 2.472 − 2(0.74)(2.47)𝑐𝑜𝑠45 =

𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 =4.75 𝑃𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 = 2.02

Was momentum conserved within the limits of accuracy in the simulation?

5. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the impulse on the 2 kg ball.

vector diagram calculation (magnitude and direction)

Impulse= 0.74 – 4.33 = -3.59

6. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the impulse on the 3 kg ball.

vector diagram calculation (magnitude and direction)

Impulse= 2.47 – 6.69 = -4.22

Prepared by: Noli M. Esperas Jr. Page 6 of 7

EN PHYS 1 –PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS

Prepared by: Noli M. Esperas Jr. Page 7 of 7

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