CHS PHYSICS
VIRTUAL
Name: _________________ Period: ___
COLLISIONS LAB
OBJECTIVE:
To experiment with and gain a better understanding of collisions and the
Conservation of Momentum.
EQUATIONS:
Conservation of Momentum states that
the total initial momentum is equal to
the total final momentum in the absence
of IMPULSE (P = Ft). That is to say if
there is no net force the total initial
momentum equals the total final
momentum.
Pi = Pf
Pai +Pbi = Paf +Pbf
mavai +mbvbi = mavaf +mbvbf
GETTING STARTED:
Turn on the computer and open
an Firefox, or Internet Explorer.
In the URL address type:
[Link]
tion/collision-lab
If this URL does not work
properly go to
[Link]
Select: Play with sims
Select: Physics
Scroll down and select:
Collisions Lab
Select: Run Now!
You may be prompted to
download the program or if you
would like to run the program, select
okay, or run.
The Collisions Lab Simulator
program should now be open.
Select the 1 dimension setting on
the panel in the upper right corner of
the screen. The following boxes
should be checked: Velocity Vectors,
Reflecting Border, Momenta Diagram,
and Show Paths.
To start set the elasticity set at
1.0
Select the More Data Button at
the bottom of the screen.
PERFECTLY ELASTIC COLLISION:
Investigate the action of a more-massive attacking object striking a lessmassive target object.
o What happens to the more-massive attacking object?
o What happens to the less-massive target object?
Investigate the action of a less-massive attacking object striking a moremassive target object.
o What happens to the less-massive attacking object?
o What happens to the more-massive target object?
Complete the below tables with the by imputing knowns and pressing
the play button.
Mass
(kg)
1.20
1.20
Vi
Pi
nitial
final
nital
(m/s
)
(m/s
)
(kg
m/s
)
fin
K
E(
J)
al
(k
g
m/
s)
1.
50
1.8
0
To
tal
Initi
al:
To
tal
Fin
al:
Does conservation of energy occur in this collision? How about
conservation of momentum? Why?
Mass
(kg)
Vi
Pi
nitial
final
nital
(m/s
)
(m/s
)
(kg
m/s
)
fin
K
E(
J)
al
(k
g
m/
s)
2.40
1.
30
4.80
0.
0
To
tal
Initi
al:
To
tal
Fin
al:
Does conservation of energy occur in this collision? How about
conservation of momentum? Why?
The total initial momentum for the collision below is 11.5. What is the
initial velocity of object 1?
Mass
(kg)
2.50
3.90
Vi
Pi
nitial
final
nital
(m/s
)
(m/s
)
(kg
m/s
)
0.
85
0
fin
K
E(
J)
al
(k
g
m/
s)
To
tal
Initi
al:
To
tal
Fin
al:
Does conservation of energy occur in this collision? How about
conservation of momentum? Why?
PERFECTLY INELASTIC COLLISION:
Set the elasticity setting in the upper right corner panel to 0.0. Play with
the simulator and note a few observations comparing an elastic and inelastic
collision.
Complete the below tables with the by imputing knowns and pressing
the play button.
Mass
(kg)
Vi
Pi
nitial
final
nital
(m/s
)
(m/s
)
(kg
m/s
)
P
fin
al
(k
g
K
E(
J)
m/
s)
1.20
1.20
Mass
1.
50
1.8
0
To
tal
Initi
al:
To
tal
Fin
al:
(kg)
Vi
Pi
nitial
final
nital
(m/s
)
(m/s
)
(kg
m/s
)
(k
g
m/
s)
2.40
1.
30
4.80
0.
0
Does conservation of energy occur in the collisions above? How about
conservation of momentum? Why?
K
E(
J)
al
P
fin
CONCLUSION QUESTIONS:
1. A collision where both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved is an
elastic / inelastic collision.
2. A 500. gram cart moving at .360 m/s, what is its momentum?
If the cart was to bounce off a wall and return with a velocity of -.240
m/s, what is its Impulse be?
3. How fast must a 250. gram cart be traveling to have a momentum of .450
kgm/s?
To
tal
Initi
al:
To
tal
Fin
al:
4. A .230 kg baseball is thrown with a speed of 41 m/s. What is the balls
momentum?
If the above ball comes to rest in the catchers mitt in .085 seconds, how
much force does the ball apply on the catchers mitt? (hint: use the impulsemomentum theorem )
5. Imagine you are ice skating with your BFF. Both of you at rest, when you
shove him/her away from you. You have a mass of 65 kg and he/she has a
mass of 55kg. When you shove off, you move away with a velocity of 2.0 m/s.
With what velocity does your BFF move away from you?
6. If a 250. gram cart moving to the right with a velocity of +.31 m/s collides
inelastically with a 500. gram cart traveling to the left with a velocity of -.22
m/s, what is the total momentum of the system before the collision?
What is the resulting velocity of the above two-car system (stuck
together)?
7. A 9.0 kg bowling ball races down the lane at 15 m/s before striking a bowling
pin (at rest) with a mass of .85 kg. If the .85 kg pin bounces backward with a
velocity of 45 m/s, what is the velocity of the bowling ball after the collision?
8. If two automobiles collide, they usually do not stick together. Does this mean the collision is
elastic? Explain.
9. What happens when two objects collide at an angle? How does conservation
of momentum come into play with 2-dimensions? Use the simulator to
experiment with this.