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Billiard Ball Collision Momentum Analysis

This document discusses conducting a physics experiment to investigate how well the linear momentum model represents real-world billiard ball collisions. Key aspects to consider include linear momentum conservation, rotational momentum conservation due to the balls' rotational inertia, and how increasing spin affects the transfer of energy between translational and rotational kinetic energy. The proposed experiment would involve rolling one ball down a ramp at various velocities to collide with a second ball at different angles and observing how well the theoretical change in momentum based on the linear momentum model matches the actual observed change.

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danny lee
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8 views2 pages

Billiard Ball Collision Momentum Analysis

This document discusses conducting a physics experiment to investigate how well the linear momentum model represents real-world billiard ball collisions. Key aspects to consider include linear momentum conservation, rotational momentum conservation due to the balls' rotational inertia, and how increasing spin affects the transfer of energy between translational and rotational kinetic energy. The proposed experiment would involve rolling one ball down a ramp at various velocities to collide with a second ball at different angles and observing how well the theoretical change in momentum based on the linear momentum model matches the actual observed change.

Uploaded by

danny lee
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Physics IA

- No need to make collisions complicated  simple one on one collision should be


fine
- Question: how well does the linear momentum model represent the real-life
collision of billiard balls?
- Things to consider
o Linear momentum conservation
o Rotational momentum conservation
 Rotational inertia  2/5Mr^2 for solid balls
o Hit two balls and it goes in 90 degrees?  The faster you spin a ball,
rotational momentum is gonna have more effect on the angles as it hits
balls  the faster I spin it, energy is transformed into more rotational KE
instead of translational KE
o INVESTIGATE!
- Do I need an independent and an dependent variable?  how well does the
model fit into real life? (just linear vs linear + rotational vs rotational)
o when you change mass or velocity (linear momentum)?
 Mass of billiard balls all the same…?  velocity is the only
variable possible?
 Angular velocity depends on the velocity, right? W= r * theta
 If I change the mass, size (which would affect rotational
momentum), will change as well

my research question: how well do the models (linear and linear + rotational) fit into real
life depending on the velocity?
- I would graph actual momentum change (which would vary according to velocity)
against theoretical momentum
o v compare the slopes (x = actual momentum, y = theoretical)

---------------------------------------
 Just disregard the questions and such above
 Make a ramp that you can roll down the ball into  constant velocity
 Change the angles in which the ball 1 (the one you roll down) hits ball 2  then
observe how well the linear momentum model fits real life
o Calculating rotational momentum might be a stretch
 OR change the velocity (by making an adjustable height ramp) and keep the
collision course the same

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