Name: Bolaji O.

Date: 5/12/22 Period:3

Collision Lab
PROBLEM / OBJECTIVE

● What happens when objects collide? How does this relate to Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion?

PREDICTIONS

1. If 2 MOVING OBJECTS that have the SAME MASS collide, what will happen to the objects (i.e., will
they both bounce back, will only 1 bounce back, etc.)? Please explain your thought process:
If... 2 Moving Objects that have the same mass collide

then... They will both bounce back

because... They have an equal amount of mass

2. If 1 MOVING OBJECT collides with another STATIONARY (NOT MOVING) OBJECT that has the
SAME MASS, what will happen to the objects?
If... 1 Moving Object collides with another stationary object that has the same mass collide

then... Only 1 will bounce back

because... Because one of them has no force, so only one of them will bounce back.

3. If 2 MOVING OBJECTS that have DIFFERENT MASSES collide, what will happen to the objects (i.e.,
will they both bounce back, will only 1 bounce back, etc.)? Please explain your thought process:
If... 2 Moving Objects that have different masses collide

then... 1 will only bounce back

because... Once that has more mass will less likely bounce back then the one with less mass.

MATERIALS

***If completing this lab from home you may choose to complete the lab using the objects described
below OR simply watch the provided video links in the Data/Observations section.

MATERIALS (AMOUNT NEEDED)

Two of the same sort of Two of the same sort of Two of the same
heavier weight balls lighter weight balls sort of ‘Ramps’
(ex:Pool Table Balls, (ex: Ping Pong Balls, (ex: Hardcover
Baseballs, Styrofoam Balls, Wiffle Books, Pieces of
Softballs,Melons Balls, Tennisballs, plywood,
[cantaloupe/ honeydew], Clementines, Smaller Cardboard, etc)
Lacrosse Balls), Golf Round Apples, Street
Balls Hockey Balls, Foam Stress
Balls)
PROCEDURE:

1. Hold or prop up the two books(objects you could

find) to act as ramps, as shown in the diagram to
the right. → →
2. Place the two heavy balls at the top of the two
ramps and release them at the same time so they
collide. Record what happens after they collide in the data table below.
3. Next, place one heavy ball on the table/ground at the bottom of the ramp. Release the other heavy ball
from the top of the ramp so it will collide with the stationary ball at the bottom. Write your observations
in the data table.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the light weight balls.
5. Repeat step 2 with a heavy ball and a light ball.

DATA & OBSERVATIONS: (explain what happened to Ball #1 & Ball #2)

Object BOTH MOVING ONE STATIONARY (NOT MOVING)

Video Link (for out of school students) Video Link (for out of school students)

2 Heavy They both bounce back Both balls bounce but only 1 bounces back
Weight Balls before moving
(Golf Balls)

2 Light They both bounce back Both balls move but 1 bounces back.
Weight Balls
(Ping Pong
Balls)

X
1 Heavy Ball, Only 1 bounces back (light ball)
1 Light Ball
(1 Golf & 1
Ping Pong)

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION

1. Explain whether your original predictions were correct or not. Support your answers with evidence from
your observations.
CONDITION: Was your prediction Evidence from the lab:
correct?

(a) If 2 MOVING Yes They both bounced back

OBJECTS that
have the SAME
MASS collide...
(b) If 1 MOVING Yes Only 1 bounced back.
OBJECT collides
with another
STATIONARY
(NOT MOVING)
OBJECT that has
the SAME MASS...

(c) If 2 MOVING Yes Once again, only 1 bounce back.

OBJECTS that
have DIFFERENT
MASSES collide...

2. Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion states that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” Use
evidence and examples from your observations to…
a. explain how this law relates to what happens in a collision between two objects.
b. give details as to how energy transfer is demonstrated in such a collision.
For a example in part c 2 moving objects that had a different masses had a opposite reaction to each other.
When 2 objects collide they will neither have an equal or opposite reaction.
When an object collides with another object, it transfers all the kinetic energy to both balls and then they
collide and have the opposite reaction and bounce back.