Hover Gliders

Objectives
 Analyze collisions between objects with the same mass. (Exploration 1)
 Analyze collisions between objects with different masses. (Exploration 2)
 Develop an understanding of momentum’s role in collisions. (Exploration 3)
 Compare and contrast collisions in which energy is conserved with collisions in which energy is lost.
(Exploration 4)

Description of Activity
In this activity, you control a pair of hover gliders. There is no friction between the hover gliders and the ground, and
the effects of air resistance are negligible. You can adjust the mass and the initial velocity of each hover glider as
well as the amount of energy lost in any collision between the hover gliders. The Jump Start exercises below are
designed to help you review concepts of mass, inertia, velocity, and momentum.

Jump Start
1. What happens to a moving object’s momentum when that object’s velocity doubles?

2. Which has more inertia: a stationary bowling ball or a rolling tennis ball? Which has more momentum?

3. Explain. Which has more momentum: a stationary bowling ball or an identical rolling bowling ball?

4. Describe the difference between a scalar and a vector.

5. Does the momentum of a pencil change as it falls? Explain.

6. Carla and Irene walk toward each other. Both are moving at 5 m/s, and both have a mass of 50 kg. Do they
have equal momenta? Explain.
Exploration 1: Collisions Between Two Gliders with Equal Mass
Procedure
1. Explore the simulation on your own for several minutes. Search for relationships between the velocities and
momenta before and after the collision.
2. Set Mass to 1.00 kg for both hover gliders. Set Initial velocity of glider 1 to 2.00 m/s. Set Initial velocity of
glider 2 to −2.00 m/s. Set Energy lost from collision to 0.00 J.
3. Select Go. Record the hover gliders’ final velocities in Table 1.
4. Select Restart. Repeat steps 1–3 eight more times, but change the initial velocities each time to match the
values shown in Table 1. Observe the gliders’ motion each time, and record the final velocities in Table
1. Keep Mass at 1.0 kg for both hover gliders and Energy lost from collision to 0.00 J.
Observations and Analysis
Table 1 (masses of both gliders = 1.00 kg; energy loss = 0.00 J)
Initial Velocity of Glider 1 Initial Velocity of Glider 2 Final Velocity of Glider 1 Final Velocity of Glider 2
(m/s) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s)

2.00 −2.00

2.00 −1.00

2.00 0.00

2.00 −0.50

2.00 −3.00

1.00 −2.00

0.00 −2.00

0.50 −2.00

3.00 −2.00

1. In complete sentences, describe any apparent patterns in Table 1.

2. You kept the masses constant during this Exploration. Give reasons why it might be a poor idea to adjust too
many variables at once.
Exploration 2: Collisions Between Two Gliders with Different
Masses
Procedure
1. Set Mass to 1.00 kg for both hover gliders. Set Initial velocity of glider 1 to 0.50 m/s, and Initial velocity of
glider 2 to –0.50 m/s. Set Energy lost from collision to 0.00 J.
2. Select Go. Record the total final velocity of the hover gliders in Table 2. (So, add together what you got
as the final velocity for glider 1 and the final velocity for glider 2. What was your net final velocity)?
3. Observe the gliders’ motions as you adjust their masses and record the data in Table 2 as you proceed. For
each pair of masses in Table 2, use any initial velocity pair that sums to 0.00 m/s.

Observations and Analysis

Table 2 (energy loss = 0.00 J)
Mass of Glider 1 Mass of Glider 2 Initial Velocity of Glider 1 Initial Velocity of Glider 2 Total Final Velocity
(kg) (kg) (m/s) (m/s) (m/s)

1.00 1.00 0.50 −0.50

2.00 1.00 1.00 −1.00

3.00 1.00 2.00 −2.00

3.00 2.00 0.50 −0.50

3.00 1.50 4.00 –4.00

1. Answer in complete sentences: Does the pattern that you found in Table 1 work for Table 2? Explain.
Exploration 3: Momentum and Collisions
Procedure
1. Momentum equals mass multiplied by velocity. Set Mass and Initial velocity of glider 1 to the pair of values in
the first row of Table 3 that gives it a momentum of 2.00 kg·m/s. Set Mass and Initial velocity of glider 2 to
the pair of values in the first row of Table 3 that gives it a momentum of −2.00 kg·m/s. Set Energy lost from
collision to 0.00 J.
2. Select Go. Record both gliders’ final momenta in Table 3.
3. Observe the final momenta of the gliders as you adjust their initial momenta and record the data in Table
3 as you proceed. You cannot adjust the initial momentum directly. Set Mass and Initial velocity to the
values given in Table 3 to get the initial momenta desired.

Observations and Analysis

Table 3 (energy loss = 0.00 J)
Initial Momentum of Glider Initial Momentum of Glider Final Momentum of Glider 1 Final Momentum of Glider 2
1 (kg·m/s) 2 (kg·m/s) (kg·m/s) (kg·m/s)

2.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 1.00 m/s) (2.00 kg × −1.00 m/s)

1.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(1.00 kg × 1.00 m/s) (1.00 kg × −2.00 m/s)

0.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 0.00 m/s) (1.00 kg × −2.00 m/s)

4.00 kg·m/s = 0.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 2.00 m/s) (2.00 kg × 0.00 m/s)

1.00 kg·m/s = −1.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 0.50 m/s) (1.00 kg × −1.00 m/s)

1. Look at your results in Table 3. Is there a trend or general pattern? What is it?
Exploration 4: Momentum and Energy Loss
Procedure
1. Set Mass and Initial velocity of glider 1 to the pair of values in the first row of Table 4 that gives it a
momentum of 2.00 kg·m/s. Set Mass and Initial velocity of glider 2 to the pair of values in the first row
of Table 4 that gives it a momentum of −2.00 kg·m/s. Set Energy lost from collision to 1.00 J.
2. Select Go. Record the final momenta of both gliders in Table 4.
3. Observe the gliders’ final momenta as you adjust their initial momenta. Record the data in Table 4 as you
proceed. You cannot adjust the initial momenta directly. Set Mass and Initial velocity to the values given
in Table 4 to get the initial momenta desired. Keep Energy lost from collision set to 1.00 J.

Observations and Analysis

Table 4 (energy loss = 1.00 J)
Initial Momentum of Glider Initial Momentum of Glider Final Momentum of Glider 1 Final Momentum of Glider 2
1 (kg·m/s) 2 (kg·m/s) (kg·m/s) (kg·m/s)

2.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 1.00 m/s) (2.00 kg × −1.00 m/s)

1.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(1.00 kg × 1.00 m/s) (1.00 kg × −2.00 m/s)

0.00 kg·m/s = −2.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 0.00 m/s) (1.00 kg × −2.00 m/s)

4.00 kg·m/s = 0.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 2.00 m/s) (2.00 kg × 0.00 m/s)

1.00 kg·m/s = −1.00 kg·m/s =

(2.00 kg × 0.50 m/s) (1.00 kg × −1.00 m/s)

1. What happens in the yellow area? What is the problem?

2. Compare and contrast the results in Table 3 with the results in Table 4.

Conclusions
State a general principle about the glider’s motion in this Virtual Investigation.

Inquiry Extension
The hover gliders in this simulation move along a flat, frictionless track. Explain how your results and conclusions
would change if the track had been slightly inclined.