Collision Experiments

I. Objectives
(1) Study the elastic and perfectly inelastic collisions by using air track which can provide an
almost frictionless environment.
(2) Understand the transformation between velocity and energy via the measurements of
elastic and perfectly inelastic collisions.

II. Theory
(1) Elastic collisions:
In a collision event, the total momentum of two objects remains the same before and after
collisions, but the total kinetic energy can be different. If the total kinetic energy remains the
same, then this kind of collisions is called “elastic collisions”, as shown in Fig. 1.

V! V"

Before collision

"""
V! """
V"

After collision

Figure 1. Schematic of elastic collisions.

Let’s assume two objects having an elastic collision in one-dimension and they should obey
both momentum and energy conservation equations:

Momentum conservation: m1V1 + m 2 V2 = m1 V1 + m 2 V2 ···························· (1)

1 1 1 1
Energy conservation: m1V12 + m 2 V22 = m1 V12 + m 2 V22 ······················ (2)
2 2 2 2
(")
Take
($)
to get V1 + V1 = V2 + V2

or V1 - V2 = -(V1 - V2 ) ················································· (3)

In Eq. (3), V1 - V2 and V1 - V2 are the relative velocities before and after the collision,
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 respectively. Therefore, the relative velocities before and after the collision will have the same

magnitude but opposite direction. Then, we can get the velocities of two objects V1 and V2

by putting Eq. (3) into Eq. (1):

m1 - m 2 2m 2
V1 = V1 + V2 ······································· (4)
m1 + m 2 m1 + m 2

2m1 m - m2
V2 = V1 - 1 V2 ······································· (5)
m1 + m 2 m1 + m 2

If we simplify the experiment by setting m2 which is got hit to be at rest (V2＝0), then the
above two equations can be rewritten as:

m1 - m 2 V1 m1 - m 2
V1 = V1 or = ······························ (6)
m1 + m 2 V1 m1 + m 2

2m1 V2 2m 1
V2 = V1 or = ···························· (7)
m1 + m 2 V1 m1 + m 2

(2) Perfectly inelastic collisions:

If the total momentum of two objects remains the same in collision, but two objects are stuck
together after the collision and move together with the same velocity. This kind of collisions
is called “perfectly inelastic collision”, as shown in Fig. 2.

V! V"

Before collision

""" """" ＝ V
V! ＝ V $

After collision

Figure 2. Schematic of perfectly inelastic collisions.

Let’s assume two objects having a perfectly inelastic collision in one-dimension and they are

stuck together which means V1 = V2 = V . Putting this in the momentum conservation

equation, Eq. (1), to get:

2
 m1 m2
V= V1 + V2 ···································· (8)
m1 + m 2 m1 + m 2

Similarly, as previous experiment, let’s set m2 which is got hit to be at rest (V2＝0), then the
above equation can be rewritten as

m1 V m1
V= V1 or = ····························· (9)
m1 + m 2 V1 m1 + m 2

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Therefore, the ratio of the kinetic energies before the collision ( E k = m1V12 ) and after the
2
1
collision ( E' k = (m1 + m 2 )V 2 ) is:
2

E' k m1
= ··················································· (10)
E k m1 + m 2

(3) The collisions mentioned above are two extreme cases, but most of the collisions are in
between, called “non-elastic collisions”. We can use “the coefficient of restitution e” to
quantify how a certain collision is close to the elastic collision. The definition is taking the
negative ratio of the relative velocities of two objects before and after collisions as:

V1－V2
e =－ ····················································· (11)
V1－V2

So, we can know that “the coefficient of restitution e” is 1 for elastic collision from Eq. (3)

and is 0 for perfectly inelastic collision since V1 = V2 = V and e is between 0 and 1 for non-

elastic collisions.

III. Apparatus
(1) A linear air track, a big track car (adding one weights on each side), and a small track car.
(2) Two rubber band buffers, an aluminum buffer, and a needle.
(3) An adjustable air blower and a pipe.
(4) A computer, 2 photogates, a card, a computer’s power supply, and 10 connectors.
(5) A Scale。

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IV. Experimental Setup
(1) Set up the apparatus according to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4.

photogate photogate

Air track
Track car Adjustable air
blower

Pulley, card, Wood

Weights, and Computer
Computer’s power supply
others

Figure 3. The experimental setup for the collision experiments.

Photogate 2 Signal for photogate

Photogate 1

Power for photogate

Computer’s power supply

Computer

Figure 4. The wiring diagram for the photogate and computer.

(2) Placing two photogates at the positions of ±30 cm around the center, as shown in Fig. 5.
(Trick: try to adjust the positions of photogates to get the best result.)

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 Photogate 2 Collision point Photogate 1

Air entry
30 cm 30 cm

60 cm

Figure 5. The positions of photogates for the collision experiments.

(3) Turn on the air first, then place the big track car (adding the weight on one side with the
aluminum plate and the aluminum buffer on the other side) at the collision point in Fig. 5.
Adjusting the level to make the big track car can float around the collision point.

V. Procedure
A. Elastic collision
(1) Install rubber band buffers on two sides of the small track car and place it at point A in Fig.
5. Place the big track car (adding weights) to the collision point and keep it still. Let the
side with the aluminum top plate face to the small track car. Then, install cards on both
cars. Setting the computer:
a) When the computer’s screen shows <S> select mode, keep pushing <S> until it
shows “speed”.
b) Push <D> and the screen will show <S> select number, then push <S> to select
readings = 3.
c) Push <D> and the screen will show <S> mask size, keep pushing <S> until it shows
size in cm = 010.
d) Push <D> and the screen will show <G> when ready, then push <G> to select
waiting. After the track car passes through the two photogates, the screen will show
Display.
e) Push <D> continuously to get all three readings.
Push the small track car from left or right to the big track car, and the V1 measured by
photogate 1 is the velocity of colliding the big car. (Note: control the velocity to be around
0.4 m/sec. If it is too small, the ∆𝑡! or ∆𝑡" will be too large to cause the uncertainty. On
the other hand, the heights of the collision point and the center of mass will introduce
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 another uncertainty, please see more details in the “Tips” below.
(2) Measure the masses of the big and small track car (including the buffers) and record them.
(3) Since the small track car is lighter than the big one, so it will recoil after the collision.

Extract the values of V1, V1 , and V2 from the computer (need to be careful about the

order of passing the photogates) and record them, where V1 is the velocity of the small

track car passing again photogate 1 and V2 is the velocity of the big track car passing

through photongate 2 after the collision.

(4) Repeat step (1) and (3) for 5 times and prove Eq. (6) and Eq. (7) and calculate the
coefficient of restitution e.

(5) Record (V1, V1 ,V2 ) and the coefficient of restitution e.

(6) Exchange the positions of the big and small track cars, let the big track car to collide the
small one and repeat the above steps (control the velocity of the big track car to about 0.3
m/sec). Since the big track car will not recoil and will move in the same direction as the
small track car (pass the photogate 2), you need to use your hand to stop the small track
car when it recoils from the end of the air track. Repeat step (1) to (3) for 5 times and
prove Eq. (6) and Eq. (7) and calculate the coefficient of restitution e.

(7) Record (V1, V1 ,V2 ) and the coefficient of restitution e.

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 Example chart:
Mass of small track car 𝑚! = ________ (g), mass of big track car 𝑚" = ________ (g)
Prove Eq. (6) Prove Eq. (7)
𝑉! 𝑉&! 𝑉&"
e 𝑉&! 𝑚! −𝑚" Percentage Average 𝑉&" 2𝑚! Percentage Average
(m/s) (m/s) (m/s)
𝑉! 𝑚! + 𝑚" error of error 𝑉! 𝑚! + 𝑚" error of error
Small to big

1 % %
2 % %
3 % % % %
4 % %
5 % %
Mass of big track car 𝑚! = ________ (g), mass of small track car 𝑚" = ________ (g)
Prove Eq. (6) Prove Eq. (7)
𝑉! 𝑉&! 𝑉&"
e 𝑉&! 𝑚! −𝑚" Percentage Average 𝑉&" 2𝑚! Percentage Average
(m/s) (m/s) (m/s)
𝑉! 𝑚! + 𝑚" error of error 𝑉! 𝑚! + 𝑚" error of error
Big to small

1 % %
2 % %
3 % % % %
4 % %
5 % %

Tips:
There are two positions to install the collision part, high and low. For the high collision point
(higher than the center of mass h), as shown in Fig. 6, the torque on the track car will be
changed by Δτ = h mv during the collision and this torque will provide a downward normal
force, N = Δτ/(L/2) = (2 h mv)/L, on the other side of the car. Therefore, it will increase the
friction. This downward normal force is proportional to the height of the collision point h and
the collision velocity v. Other sources of the uncertainties are the level of the air track and the
rubber band buffer (why?).

Figure 6. The change in torque during the collision.

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B. Perfectly inelastic collision
(1) Remove the rubber band buffers from the small track car and install them on the ends of
air track. Put the needle and the hook on two sides of the small track car. Let the needle
side of the small track car face to the aluminum buffer side of the big track car. So, when
two cars collide, the needle will stick into the aluminum buffer to become one object.
(2) Place the small track car at point A and big track car on the collision point C (keep it still)
in Fig. 5. As in procedure A (1), push small track car to left (or right) and measure V1 and

V1 = V2 = V . Record them in your chart. (Note: control the velocity of V1 to be about 0.4

m/sec).
(3) Repeat step (2) for 4 times to prove Eq. (9) and calculate the coefficient of restitution e
using Eq. (11).
(4) Record (V1, V ) and the coefficient of restitution e.
(5) Exchange the positions of big track car and small track car and perform the same
experiment using the big track car to collide the small track car.
(6) Record (V1, V ) and the coefficient of restitution e.

Example chart:
Mass of small track car 𝑚! = ________ (g), mass of big track car 𝑚" = ________ (g)
Prove Eq. (9)
Small car hits on big car

𝑉! 𝑉&! 𝑉&"
e 𝑉&! 𝑚! Percentage Average of the
(m/s) (m/s) (m/s)
𝑉! 𝑚! + 𝑚" error percentage error
1 %
2 %
3 % %
4 %
5 %

VI. Cautions
(1) The adjustable air blower needs to be turned on before the track car is placed on the air
track and this only can be turn off when the track car is removed from the air track.
(2) You need to be careful all the time, especially do not damage the surface of the air track.
(3) Please make sure the two buffers on the track car to have equal weight for balance.
(4) When using the computer to make multiple measurements, we can use the built-in function
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 to avoid the repeated setting (if we didn't turn off the power). After the last reading is
recorded, push <D> and the screen will show <G><S><D>, then push <G> and it will
show waiting, then you can conduct the measurement again. (If you push <D> again, it
will show the previous reading.)
(5) Computer is using the signals from two photogates (block or not block the light) to
calculate it. For example, when the first track car just blocks the first photogate but not
completely passes it, and the other track car blocks the other photogate. So, the computer
will use these two signals to do the calculation and it will give you large uncertainty. We
need to avoid this kind of situation happened.

VII. Questions
(1) How to improve this experiment? Is there any way to make the measurement to be more
accurate?

VIII. References
(1) University Physics: 9th edition H.D. Young (Chap 5 and Chap 12)

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Self-evaluation check list: Collision Experiments
After completing the experiment, use this check list to evaluate your grasp of the experiment. If
you have items that mark as “completely lost” or “very vague”, please re-examine the
experimental procedure, re-read the lab manual, or consult your TA or instructor to improve your
understanding of the content.

Item Fully Mostly Vague Completely

understood understood lost

1. Understand what the momentum

conservation is
2. Understand what the energy
conservation is
3. Understand what the elastic collision is
4. Understand what the perfectly inelastic
collision is

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Editor: Department of Physics,

National Cheng Kung University
Revision date: 2022/09 By Yi Yang