Wednesday, 21 March 2012

Investigating Momentum

Starter - Spot the mistakes!

13 March 2012

16:35
· http://sites.google.com/site/winfailphysics/all-videos/roadrunner-human-canno...
· http://sites.google.com/site/winfailphysics/all-videos/roadrunner-spring-punch
· You know that these situations are wrong, but why are they wrong?!

Guided discovery - Investigating Momentum

14 March 2012

07:20

When we collide two gliders on the

air track, what happens?

Situation 1: Elastic collision with a stationary glider

Initial

Initial speed of LH glider = ul = 1m/s

Initial speed of RH glider = ur = 0m/s

[cid:image001.jpg@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

Final speed of LH glider = vl = 0m/s

Final speed of RH glider = vr = 1m/s

[cid:image002.jpg@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

We can represent this graphically as

Initial

[cid:image003.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

[cid:image004.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Conclusion
· It appears that the speed is "transferred" to the RH glider

Situation 2: Inelastic collision with a stationary glider

Initial

Initial speed of LH glider = ul = 1m/s

Initial speed of RH glider = ur = 0m/s

[cid:image005.jpg@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

Final speed of LH glider = vl = 0.5m/s

Final speed of RH glider = vr = 0.5m/s

[cid:image006.jpg@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

We can represent this graphically as

Initial

[cid:image003.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

[cid:image007.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Conclusion
· Speed is conserved in the collision
· Total Initial speed = Total Final speed

Situation 3: Head on collision

Initial

Initial speed of LH glider = ul = 1m/s

Initial speed of RH glider = ur = -1m/s

[cid:image008.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

Final speed of LH glider = vl = 0m/s

Final speed of RH glider = vr = 0m/s

[cid:image009.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

We can represent this graphically as

Initial

[cid:image010.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

[cid:image011.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Conclusion
· Velocity is conserved in the collision
· Total Initial velocity = Total Final velocity

Situation 4: Head on collision with different masses

Initial

Initial speed of LH glider = ul = 1m/s

Initial speed of RH glider = ur = -1m/s

[cid:image012.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

Final speed of LH glider = vl = 0m/s

Final speed of RH glider = vr = 0m/s

[cid:image013.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Problem!

Our previous conclusion that
o Velocity is conserved in the collision

doesn't hold for this situation!

Why do they move off to the left?

Because the RH glider has twice the mass

What could I change about the LH glider to make both gliders stop after the collision?
o Double the mass (obvious)
o Double the initial velocity

We can represent this graphically as

Initial

[cid:image014.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final

[cid:image015.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

So something is conserved in the collision, but what is it?

What does the area of the rectangles represent?!

Time to label our axes!

[cid:image016.png@01CD0767.BCDE8CE0]

Final Conclusion
· The area of the rectangles are mass x velocity
· Momentum = mass x velocity
· So momentum is conserved in collisions

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