Impulse and Momentum

Impulse and Momentum

whereis the average force.

The JavaScript provided with this document simulates the elastic collision of two carts in one dimension, along an horizontal axis with a positive direction pointing to the right. It allows a user to change the initial velocities (and ) and the masses (and ) of the two colliding carts, and it shows the result as final velocities after of the collision (and ). It’s also showing, with randomly built-in uncertainties, how the (virtually) measured interaction forcesandchange with time in a separate graph. Get familiar with running the simulation by changing the different available setting and controls, and observe their effects.

Virtual Lab Procedure

Part A

1. Set the two masses to equal values (ex.kg) and run the simulation five times for different initial velocities.

2. Record the values ofand in the data table below.

3. For each step, record the initial velocitiesand you chose, the final velocitiesand calculated by the JavaScript simulation, and estimate from the graph the areas between the curves and the horizontal axis, and then report them asand in the data table (and). To facilitate a better view of the features of the graph, you can zoom in/out with the mouse wheel when the mouse pointer is in the graph area.

4. Calculate the changes in momentum and and write their values in the table.

5. Calculate the percentage differences and report them in the data table.

Table 1.

Part B

1. Set the two masses to unequal values (ex.kg and kg) and run again the simulation five times for different initial velocities.

2. Repeat all you did in steps 3 to 5 in part A.

Table 2.