Collisions Lab

 ~ Big Questions:
"What is the difference between the amount of energy lost in an Elastic Collision vs Inelastic Collision?"

"What is a better conserved quality - momentum or energy?

 ~ This week we performed a collisions lab where we had two carts, one red and one blue, on a track. At each end of the track, we placed a sonar range finder that "picks up" the motion for each cart. We used the electronic force probe and plugged into the two carts and the computer to graph the collision.

 ~ For this lab, we had two trials: elastic collision and inelastic collision.

In the elastic collision, the clear stick was sprung out to prevent the carts from sticking together. With the blue cart at rest, we pushed the red cart towards the blue cart. When the collision occurred, the blue cart went in motion towards the left side while the red cart slowed to a stop. This is the data that we found for this type of collision.

In the inelastic collision, we put away the clear sticks for the carts and left the velcro which allowed the cars to stick together. With the blue cart at rest, we pushed the red cart towards the blue cart again. When the collision occurred, the blue and the red cart stuck together and both moved towards the left. 

 ~ To answer the big questions, our data showed that the inelastic collision had much more energy lost. Also, if we were to measure collisions, it would be better to use momentum because it better conserves. Momentum does not have that much percent difference. 

Football Collisions

 ~ In football lots of collisions occur between players. In order to start the collision, a player must have some type of momentum towards the other player. His mass times his velocity determines his momentum. With a bigger momentum, the player can cause a bigger collision.