Physics of *Sports*?

Our Task

The goal of this project was to collide two objects and perform video and data analysis. We observed conservation of momentum and analyzed the elasticity of each collision to see whether kinetic energy was conserved. 

We set up a Hot Wheels ramp in a wide "U" shape in one of the windows of the physics classroom, and selected cars of varying masses as testing objects. Starting each car on opposite sides of the ramp, we ran eight different pairs of cars and placed tape marks spaced 0.1 m apart at the bottom of the ramp to measure the velocities of the cars before and after the collision. Using the measured velocities and the masses of the cars, we calculated the momentums of each car before and after each collision.  

Content 

Momentum (p = mv): momentum is always conserved in a collision 

Impulse (J = Ft): the change in momentum of an object when a force acts upon it for an interval of time 

Elastic Collision: two objects collide and bounce off of each other; all/most kinetic energy is conserved

Inelastic Collision: two objects collide and stick together; most kinetic energy is lost to thermal energy

Translational Kinetic Energy (Kt): energy of motion in a straight line

Gravitational Potential Energy (Ug): energy of an object due to height off the ground

Reflection