Experiment 8

Conservation Laws and Collisions

Apparatus:
1.5 m long aluminum track, Low friction carts, Timer, Light barrier, and slotted weights.
Purpose of experiment:
To study the conservation laws of momentum and energy by carrying out a collision on an the aluminum
track.
Basic Methodology:
Linear momentum and kinetic energy of the low friction carts are studied before and after collisions.
Velocity is measured with the help of light barriers.

I Introduction
Much of our knowledge of atoms, nuclei and elementary particles has come from scattering experiments.
Perhaps, you may recall the Rutherford’s scattering experiment (conducted in 1911) in which alpha
particles were scattered from atoms of gold in a thin foil. By studying how the number of scattered alpha
particles varied with the deflection angle, Rutherford was led to the nuclear model of the atom. Also you
might be aware of the exciting scattering experiments taking place at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC),
world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator at CERN. As one of the most important current
experiments, people look forward to these experiments to shed light on our fundamental understanding
of nature.
Detailed description of collisions at atomic scale is involved, and requires the use of quantum mechanical
treatment. However conservation laws of momentum and energy gives a wealth of information, and is
sufficient to understand many features of scattering experiments. Conservation laws play a vital role
in the analysis of collision phenomena. In this experiment, we will look at a simple, one dimensional
collision on a 1.5 m aluminum track and see how the conservation laws determines the velocities of the
particles after collision.

Elastic and Inelastic collisions

Since external forces are negligible, the total momentum is conserved in any scattering experiments (In
this experiment also, we assume that friction is negligible between cart and track)

Pi = Pf . (1)

In the case of two body collision such as the current experiment,

0 0
m1 v1 + m2 v2 = m1 v1 + m2 v2 . (2)

Consider a collision on a linear track between two carts of equal masses. Suppose that initially cart
1 has a velocity v as shown in figure below and cart 2 is at rest. We shall see after the collision, 1 is at
rest and 2 moves to the right with velocity v. It is clear that momentum has been conserved and that
the total kinetic energy of the two bodies, 21 M v2 , is the same before and after the collision. A collision
in which the total kinetic energy is unchanged is called an elastic collision. A collision is elastic if the
interaction forces are conservative.
2 PHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL

As a second experiment, take the same two carts and put lumps of sticky putty on facing sides of the
0
cart. Let 2 be initially at rest. After the collision, the riders stick together and move off with speed v .
0 0
By conservation of momentum, M v = 2M v , so that v = v/2. The initial kinetic energy of the system
2
is 21 M v2 , but the final kinetic energy is 12 .2M v/2 = 41 M v2 . Evidently in this collision the kinetic energy
is only half as much after the collision as before. The kinetic energy has changed because the interaction
forces were non-conservative.

Part of the energy of the collective motion was transformed to random heat energy in the putty during
the collision. A collision in which the total kinetic energy is not conserved is called an inelastic collision.
Although the total energy of the system is always conserved in collisions, part of the kinetic energy
may be converted to some other form. To take this into account, we write the conservation of energy
equation for collisions as Ki = Kf + Q, where Q = Ki − Kf is the amount of kinetic energy converted to
another form.

II Experiment
Precaution: Do not put excessive force on carts. They have sapphire bearings which can
break very easily. Handle with great care.

In this experiment you are provided a track with negligible friction, carts where different masses can be
attached, two ‘light barriers’ and a timer to measure velocity of the carts and other accessories. The light
barrier has narrow beam of light passing from one of its arms to the other. The light is detected by a
photo diode kept in the other arm. When the shutter plate (attached to the cart) passes between the
arms of the light barrier, it blocks light from reaching the photo diode. A timer is started at this point,
which continues until the shutter is passed through the light barrier. Thus timer will tell you the time
taken by the 10 cm long shutter to pass through the barrier. From this you can determine the velocity of
the cart. You can use various mass combinations of the two carts and measure the velocities before and
after collision, and see the conservation laws in action. A detailed procedure for some specific examples
is given below. You can also device many other experiments using the set up if time permits.

2
Experiment 8. Collisions 3

• Starter system: position 1 , position 3 (maximum velocity)

• Magnet with plug for starter system.

• Fork with plug (used in elastic collision)

• Plate with plug (used in elastic collision)

• Tube with plug (used in inelastic collision)

• Needle with plug (used in inelastic collision)

Procedure
1. Connect both the light barriers to the timer (as per color code) and switch on the power. The timer
has four displays. The first two displays show the time taken by the first cart to pass through the
barrier before and after collision. The other two displays on the right side show the time taken by
the second cart to pass through the barrier before and after collision.

2. Press the ‘mode’ button and select collision option .

3. Position the first light barrier which is connected to the Timer 1 jack to the left at the 60-cm mark.
Position the second light barrier that it connected to the Timer 3 jack to the right at the 140 cm
mark.

4. Mount the 10-cm shutter plate on the rider.

5. Adjust the aluminum track for horizontal position with the help of spirit level. Allow the carts to
move through the two light barriers at a constant velocity in order to determine whether there is a
velocity gradient between the two light barriers. If necessary, readjust the air track.

6. Load the carts with slotted weights.

7. Insert the fork with the rubber band into the lower hole of one cart and the plate with plug into
the lower hole of the other cart. The lower holes were selected so that the power transfer occurs as
close as possible to the height of the cart’s center of gravity.

8. Press the reset button on the timer (before you take the next measurement).

3
4 PHYSICS LABORATORY MANUAL

9. Keep one of the carts pressed to the end of the track where there is a release mechanism.

10. Press the spring loaded tube hard to release the cart.

11. Note down the time taken by the cart to pass each of the two barriers. Both number should
be roughly equal if not then check whether the track is properly leveled or not. From
these two numbers you can estimate the error in velocity measurements.

Part A (Momentum and energy conservation in elastic collision when one cart is stationary)

1. Position one cart at the middle of the track and the cart to the end having the release mechanism

2. Release the cart at different velocities and observe the collision. Note down the velocities of the
carts before and after collision.

3. Repeat the experiment six time with different masses and speeds.

4. Enter the data on the lab report template. Calculate the total momentum and energy before and
after collision.

5. Compute the difference in momenta - Is the momentum conserved in this experiment? Keep the
standard deviation in the velocity in mind, before you reach your conclusion.

Part B (Momentum and energy conservation in elastic collision when both carts are moving)

1. Position the two carts at the opposite ends of the air track and give each of them a slight push in
the direction of the middle of the track.

2. Initially the two light barriers measure the velocity of the carts before the collision. The collision
absolutely must take place between the two light barriers. In the case of an elastic collision the
two carts reverse their direction and again pass through the light barriers, which now measure the
velocities after the collision.

3. Note the measured values and repeat the measurement with different glider masses.

4. Enter the data on the lab report template provided. Calculate the total momentum and energy
before and after collision.

5. Compute the difference in momenta and energy. Is the momentum/energy conserved in this exper-
iment? Keep the standard deviation in speed in mind, before you reach your conclusion.

4
Experiment 8. Collisions 5

Part C (Momentum and energy conservation in inelastic collision when one cart is station-
ary)

1. Instead of step 6 (of the Procedure subsection), insert the needle with plug into the lower hole
of one cart and the tube with plug into the lower hole of the other cart. The tube is filled with
Plasticine, a kind of sticky putty. The lower holes were selected so that the force transfer occurs as
close as possible to the height of the cart’s center of gravity.

2. Repeat part A.
3. Is energy conserved in this experiment? Compute the loss of energy. Where did this energy go?

III Results
Report your results neatly on the results box. Explain in which case energy/momentum is conserved or
note. Explain the errors in the experiment.

Note:
• In part C: Initially, the two light barriers measure the velocity of the gliders before the collision.
The collision absolutely must take place between the two light barriers. In the case of an inelastic
collision the two gliders remain together after the collision and move in one common direction. The
light barrier that is located in the direction of this movement is obscured by both gliders after the
collision and accordingly supplies two similar velocities for the gliders subsequent to the collision.
For the numerical evaluation, the use the first velocity recorded (why?).
• Since the impulse and the velocity of a cart are vector quantities, the measured velocities must be
given signs. A cart moving from left to right, i. e. that moves in the direction of increasing cm
marks, is given a positive velocity; in the other direction it is considered negative.

III Exercises and Viva Questions

1. What is the difference between the elastic and inelastic collisions?
2. Is law of energy conservation violated in the inelastic collisions?
3. Is linear momentum conserved in both collisions?

Reference:
1. An Introduction to Mechanics, Denial Kleppner and Robert J. Kolenkow, Tata McGraw-Hill Pub-
lishing Company Limited, New Delhi, 2007.