PHYS 1620-54
1 March 2019
Impulse and Momentum Pre-Lab
The objective of this lab is to study the impulse and the change of momentum of collision
and observe the effects of using materials to reduce the total impact of collision. When two objects collide, they will exert forces on one another. According to Newton’s Third Law, the magnitude of the forces are equal but are in opposite directions. The following equation:
I=∫
t0t
Fdt=F(t−t0) indicates that small forces applied over a long period of time can produce an impulse of the same size as a large force for a short time. Furthermore, all objects are said to have momentum and is defined as P=mv, where P is the momentum, m is the mass of the object,
and v is the velocity. When an object experiences an impulse, the momentum of the object changes. In this experiment, we will see that the total change in momentum of the object will be equal to the total impulse experienced by the object. This can be described by the following equation: I=ΔP=mvafter−mvbefore=m(|vafter|+|vbefore|). There are two types of collisions, elastic and inelastic collisions. In this lab, a collision of a glider with a force sensor will be analyzed. This is an example of an inelastic collision. This is similar to a car colliding with a barrier. An alternative to reducing the amount of force sustained by the glider will be observed in this experiment, as well. This lab will be performed in four parts, in which collision will be studied.
1 March 2019
Impulse and Momentum Pre-Lab
The objective of this lab is to study the impulse and the change of momentum of collision
and observe the effects of using materials to reduce the total impact of collision. When two objects collide, they will exert forces on one another. According to Newton’s Third Law, the magnitude of the forces are equal but are in opposite directions. The following equation:
I=∫
t0t
Fdt=F(t−t0) indicates that small forces applied over a long period of time can produce an impulse of the same size as a large force for a short time. Furthermore, all objects are said to have momentum and is defined as P=mv, where P is the momentum, m is the mass of the object,
and v is the velocity. When an object experiences an impulse, the momentum of the object changes. In this experiment, we will see that the total change in momentum of the object will be equal to the total impulse experienced by the object. This can be described by the following equation: I=ΔP=mvafter−mvbefore=m(|vafter|+|vbefore|). There are two types of collisions, elastic and inelastic collisions. In this lab, a collision of a glider with a force sensor will be analyzed. This is an example of an inelastic collision. This is similar to a car colliding with a barrier. An alternative to reducing the amount of force sustained by the glider will be observed in this experiment, as well. This lab will be performed in four parts, in which collision will be studied.
