Collisions Lab

Big Question: Is energy or momentum better conserved in a collision?

Lab Summary: This week, we got to make cars collide! We collided a red car and a blue car. They were both 0.25kg. We did 2 different collisions. One was inelastic, where the 2 cars collided and the velcro strapped together, which then caused them to share the same energy and motion. Since they had the same mass, the car with less velocity before the collision, when collided/attached to the other car got taken with faster car then going the opposite direction. The elastic consisted of the 2 cars colliding then bouncing off one another and going opposite directions because of the spring. 

THE LAB: Photo taken by, Trevor Dunbar                                     :)

DATA: 

INELASTIC CALCULATIONS:

ELASTIC CALCULATIONS:

Our calculations show the "Big Answer"; Momentum is better conserved than energy in a collision

KEY INFO: -I learned that momentum is mass in motion. p=mv

                     -Momentum is conserved

                     

Real World Connection:

In the sport of basketball, when 2 players collide, it is not smooth. The player who weighs the most and is going the fastest will determine who will get the best of the collision and momentum will be transferred.

Rubber Band Cart Launcher Lab

Big Question:

How are energy and velocity related?

Lab Summary:

We put a cart on an air track and then pulled it back a certain distance/gave it a certain amount of energy to find the velocity the cart had. It was measured by the photogate sensor. We did this multiple times to get more accurate data.

What did you learn?

When the cart is released and the rubber band sends it flying down the air track, the elastic energy in the rubber band transferred to the pink cart; this is kinetic energy. 

"Big Answer"

The further back the cart pulls the rubber band back, the more energy is transferred to it when it's released which causes the velocity of the cart to increase. 



DATA:

Equation used:

Ug=mgh

K=1/2massXvelocity^2

Real World Connection

Once again, this is related to when Baby Cupid shoots his bow and arrow to make somebody fall in love. The further he pulls back his bow, when he releases it, the energy will transfer to the arrow, the more velocity it will have/faster it will go!