LAB 7 Momentum

PhysicsLab7 June 15, 2010 Name __________________
Dr Dave Menke, Instructor

I Title: Momentum

II Purpose: Study the Concept of Momentum

III Equipment
1. Two wheeled carts or two hard (billiard-type) balls for each lab station
2. Weight - to make cart heavier
3. Stop Watch, face watch, digital watch, clock, or other chronometer
4. Meter stick or metric ruler
5. Masking tape
6. Scale to weigh cart or ball


IV Procedure
Weigh each cart or ball in grams, convert to kilograms, and record (if they are identical, weigh only one).
Mark off 2 meters along the floor
Test roll or push the cart or ball 5 times to get consistency
Roll or push the cart and time, with stopwatch, how long it takes to travel 2 meters. Record.
Calculate its average speed in meters per second. Record.
Calculate its momentum in kg m/s. Record.
Place second cart or ball at the 1.0 meter mark.
Push or roll the first cart or ball into the second so that they collide in a straight pattern. You may have to do this a few times to make sure you hit the second object and that it takes off straight.
Determine the second cart's / ball's speed by using the stopwatch to gauge how long it takes for the second object to travel one meter. Record.
Calculate the second object's momentum.
Observe what happens to the first cart after impact. Record observations.
Find impulse of impact, assuming that the time of impact was 0.01 second. Record.
Calculate / estimate the force of impact in Newtons. Record.

V Data & Calculations:
1. Weight of cart/ball 1:m1 = _________g = __________ kg
2. Weight of cart/ball 2:m2 =_________g = __________ kg
3. The time it takes to travel 2 meters:_____________ seconds
4. Average speed in meters per second:v1= __________ m/s
5. First object's momentum: p1 = m1 v1 = ______________ kg m/s.
6. Place second cart or ball at the 1.0 meter mark.
7. Average speed of second object: v2 = ____________ m/s
More....
PhysicsLab7, page 2

8. Second object's momentum: p2 = m2 v2 = ______________ kg m/s.
9. Observation of what happens to the first cart after impact:
10. Change of momentum between objects: D p = p1 – p2 = __________ kg m/s
11. Impulse: I = F D t = D(m v) = D p = _____________ N s
12. Force used, F = (D p)/(D t) = ____________Newtons

VI Results:
Explain how successful this lab exercise was in fulfilling its purpose:



VII Error Analysis:
A. Quantitative Error: NA

B. Qualitative Error:
1. Personal -
2. Random -
3. Systematic –

VIII Questions:
1. Name 5 games/sports that rely on momentum and/or impulse as part of the action.
2. What's the difference between a duck?
3. Explain the difference between “warp speed” and “impulse speed” as often depicted in some science fiction space travel genres. (What's a “genre”?)
4. Turn around 3 times and jump up and down.