Student Exploration: Air Track

Student Exploration: Air Track Vocabulary: air track, approach velocity, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, elasticity, kinetic energy, momentum, separation velocity, velocity Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) Imagine going to a bowling alley with a bowling ball and a ping pong ball. 1. Why is a bowling ball better for knocking down pins than a ping pong ball? A bowling ball is better for knocking down pins because it has more mass and inertia and in turn more energy than a ping pong ball. 2. Which do you think would knock down more pins, a bowling ball moving 10 meters per second or a bowling ball moving 10 centimeters per second? A bowling ball moving 10m/s 3. What two factors seem to most affect the amount of damage that occurs in a collision? Mass and velocity seem to affect the amount of damage that occurs in a collision. Gizmo Warm-up An air track is a device that helps scientists study motion. Air comes out of holes in the track, allowing the gliders to move with minimal friction. 1. On the Air Track Gizmo, click Play ( ) to view a collision between the two gliders. What do you see? 2 gliders moving towards each other and colliding, then moving backwards until it left the screen after colliding. 2. Click Reset ( ). The velocity (v) of an object describes its speed and direction. The velocity of each glider is indicated next to the v1 and v2 sliders. Click Play, and then click Pause ( ) just before the collision. A. What is the velocity of Glider 1? 5.0m/s B. In which direction does Glider 1 move? To the right. C. What is the velocity of Glider 2? -5.0m/s D. In which direction does Glider 2 move? To the left.