conservation of momentum and kinematic energy in different collision lab

AP physic 1
Name: Tison
Partners: Ray, Bradon, Oscar
Period: 1

Introduction:
Momentum is relating to mass and the velocity of the cart. Momentum can be represented as
p, and calculate by using the equation p= mv. Momentum is useful when we need to describe
an object’s behavior.
An external force can cause the change in momentum, which is the impulse. If two cart are
colliding with each other, the force will be internal if we consider the system is containing
two carts. In this experiment, we will compare the total momentum of the systems before and
after, and see that had change. In this way, we can figure out how those external force affects
the system. We will determine whether the momentum is conserved in different kind of
collision and how the different kind of collision affect the conservation of kinetic energy.

Materials:
Vernier data-collection interface dynamics cart (grey)

Logger Pro encoder cart (green)

one Vernier Motion Detector standard lab masses
one Motion Detector bracket Vernier Dynamics Track
neodymium magnets and Velcro® One motion encoder receiver
patches for carts

Cart 2
Cart 1 Motion
Motion
encoder detector

track

Logger
pro
Setup Procedure:
1. attach both motion encoder and the detector to the opposite end of the track

2. turn on the switch for both detector

3. Connect the motion detector and the motion encoder receiver to the interface and start the data-collection
program. Make the necessary adjustments so that a velocity vs. time graph for each detector is shown in the
graph window. Blue data and graphs will represent the grey cart and red data and graphs will represent the
green cart.

4. Place both carts, linked with their Velcro patches, in the center of the track. The zebra stripes on the green cart
must line up with the zebra stripes on the track and the motion encoder detector. (It doesn’t matter for the grey
cart.) Push the button on the side of the green cart until the blue light comes on.

5. Begin collecting data, then gently push the linked carts towards one of the motion detectors (see figure). Be sure
to keep your hands out of the way of the motion detectors. Catch the carts before they run off the track. The
velocity-time graphs from each detector should be nearly mirror images of one another; they will also show a
slight decrease in velocity due to friction.

Trail 1 Perfectly inelastic collisions

6. Make sure the grey cart has the end with the “fuzzy” Velcro patches faces the green cart. The green cart should
have the “sticky” Velcro patches. Separate the carts by about 40 cm. Practice launching the grey cart toward
the green cart so that when they collide, the carts link smoothly and continue moving without a noticeable
bounce. Do not push the grey cart too hard. A jarring collision will not produce good data.

Part 2 Inelastic collisions

7. Release the spring plunger on the grey cart and make sure that it faces the green cart. Collect data as before for
three inelastic collisions. Compute the loss in kinetic energy of the carts before and after the collision. Stop the
cart before it reach the end of the track

Part 3 Elastic Collisions

8. Install magnates to the cart, be sure that the “N” is facing each other, in this way, the carts will repel each other.
Separate the carts by about 40 cm. Stop the car before the end of the track

9. Place the green cart in the middle of the track. Position the grey cart at least 20 cm in front of the green motion
detector.
10. Start data collection. Then, when you hear the motion detector clicking, launch the grey cart toward the green
cart. Because momentum, like velocity, is a vector quantity, check to see if the signs of the velocities match
your experimental setup. You might have to place a negative sign in front of the data from one of the detectors.

11. In this experiment you are concerned with changes in momentum due to the collisions of the carts. Some
slowing due to friction is inevitable. To minimize the effect of frictional losses in your analysis, you should
select short intervals of the velocity-time graphs just before and just after a collision. Then, choose Statistics
from the Analyze menu and record the mean velocity of each cart for these intervals.

Part 4 Explosions
12. Place the carts in the center of the track with the end of the grey cart facing the green cart.

13. Begin data collection, then give a quick tap to the release pin with something hard, such as the eraser-end of a
pencil, as shown in the figure. Catch the carts before they run off the track.
14. Re-do the trail if you get a bad data.

Data/results
Calculated green ball mass = 0.75kg
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4
Analysis
Part 1

We can find the momentum by using the formula p = mv, and when we add the momentum of
both car, we obtain the total momentum of the system. The total momentum before and after
is equal. Therefore
' '
m1 v 1+m 2 v 2=m1 v 1+ m2 v 2
After finding the Total momentum before, we can find the mass of the green cart by using

(m 1 v ' 1−m 1 v 1)
m 2= ¿¿
Moreover, when we compare the momentum of the system before and after the collision, we
can find that the total momentum did not change. This is result is accord with my expectation
because I calculate the mass 2 by assuming the total momentum of the system is conserved, as
a result, the total momentum should be conserved. In addition, when I compared the
magnitude of the kinetic energy for the system before and after, the kinetic energy is not
conserved, some kinetic energy has turn in to thermal energy during the collision. This is also
accord to my assumption because in a perfectly inelastic collision, kinetic energy should not
be conserved.

Part 2
 For this part of the experiment, I use the same equation from part 1
' '
m1 v 1+m 2 v 2=m1 v 1+ m2 v 2
In this way I can calculate and compare the total momentum of the system before and after
the collision. Moreover, I also use the equation for kinematic energy which is
1
KE= m v 2
2
This can also help me to calculate and compare the change in KE during the collision. After
comparing the total momentum of the system before and after the collision, I find that the
momentum is not conserved after the collision, and the total momentum of the system even
increased after the collision. There must be some error occur at this part, because all the trails
are having bigger total momentum after the collision.

part 3

For this part, I use the same equation for conservation of momentum
' '
m1 v 1+m 2 v 2=m1 v 1+ m2 v 2
As well as the equation for calculating the kinetic energy
1 2
KE= m v
2
After calculating the total momentum of the system before and after the collision, we can
notice that the momentum is still not conserved. In the trail 1 and 3, the momentum is
decrease, it could be affected by external force. In the trail 2, the momentum increase, and
there might be some error happen in this trail. When I compare the kinetic energy before and
after the collision, I found that the KE do lost during the collision, even though the kinetic
energy should be conserved in the elastic collision in theory. However, the ratio of the KE
after/KE before in the elastic collision, which is around 0.9, is closer to 1 in comparison to the

ratio in the inelastic collision, which is around 0.7. From these trails of perfectly inelastic,
inelastic, and elastic collision, we can define the perfectly inelastic collision as collision that
will cause two objects stick together after the collision and kinetic energy will not conserved,
and will turn to other form of energy instead. An “inelastic” collision can be define as
collision that involves masses that touch but do not stick together, and the kinetic energy will
also lost after the collision. Lastly, elastic collision can be define as collisions in which the
objects bounce without touching, and both momentum and kinetic energy is conserved in
this collision in theory, but there are a lot of external force that affect the conservation of
kinetic energy and the momentum.

Part 4

For this part of lab, I use the equation

m1 v 1+m 2 v 2=p total
To calculate the momentum of the system after the collision. I find that the momentum of
grey car is 66% percent larger than the momentum of green car. This might be cause by the
variation in their mass. The total momentum of the system is increase by a value around 0.53.
In addition, I use the formula
1 2 1 2
K x = mv
2 2
To calculate the kinetic energy after the collision. I use this equation because law of
conservation of energy, the energy is originally store in spring in the cart as GPE but then
convert to kinetic energy and cause both cart to move. That is where the kinetic energy come
from.

Conclusion
In this experiment, we found that the momentum is not conserved in any kind of collision, as
well as kinetic energy, but the momentum should be conserved in perfectly inelastic, inelastic,
and elastic collision. The kinetic energy should also be conserved in the elastic collision. This
might be cause by a series of error that are made in the experiment. The external force such as
frictional force might affect the accuracy of the experiment; The track might also has some
slope that will accelerate the cart; the value of the data might not be that accurate, and that
will has a large impact especially most of the value is decimals. All of this experimental error
will cause the collision having mistaken.