1. Start up the Collision Lab here.
2. Set the Parameters on the right to One Dimension
3. Click the More Data button so you can see more data.
4. Create an OpenOffice document and copy the following questions into it. Then answer the questions in the document.
Make the mass of both balls = 1. Set ball 1′s velocity to 1 and ball 2′s velocity to zero, like the chart above.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum (both momenta added up) of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Click the rewind button, not the Reset button. If you reset, put the numbers for #1 back in and make the next change.
Now change ball 1′s velocity to 2.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Click the rewind button, not the Reset button. If you reset, put the numbers for #1 back in and make the next change.
Change the mass of ball 2 to any value other than 1.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Set the masses and velocities to anything you want.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Change the elasticity to zero.
Make the mass of both balls = 1. Set ball 1′s velocity to 1 and ball 2′s velocity to zero.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Click the rewind button, not the Reset button. If you reset, put the numbers for #1 back in and make the next change.
Now change ball 1′s velocity to 2.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Click the rewind button, not the Reset button. If you reset, put the numbers for #1 back in and make the next change.
Change the mass of ball 2 to any value other than 1.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Set the masses and velocities to anything you want.
What is the momentum of ball 1 before the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 before the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls before the collision?
What happens after the collision (in words)?
What is the momentum of ball 1 after the collision?
What is the momentum of ball 2 after the collision?
What is the total momentum of both balls after the collision?
Was momentum conserved?
Save your document with the name of you and your partner and put it in the Collision Lab Folder in SLAMA/Class Folders/Physics5,6,or 7.
If you have time, make a Newton’s cradle and see if it works:
It will even work with 2 or more balls:
