Momentum and Impulse
Name: _______________________________________ Period: __________
Purpose:
To understand and be able to use the following fundamental equation governing
inertia and momentum:
Momentum = Mass X Velocity
Force x Time Interval = Change in Momentum (Mass X Velocity)
Net momentum before a collision = Net momentum after a collision
Materials:
•Carts
•Weight
•Ramp
•Books (to incline the ramp)
•A pencil
•Tape
•Ruler
Procedure:
1.Incline a ramp by raising one end on a book.
2.Tape the pencil perpendicular to and about two cart-lengths from the end of
the ramp.
3.Place a weight on the cart.
4.Position the cart at the top of the ramp.
Test:
1.Release the cart and allow it to roll down the ramp and collide with the
pencil.
2.Use the ruler to measure how far the weight falls from the cart.
3.Repeat the procedure 5 times before raising the ramp by adding another book
(Record angle of incline in degrees and record)
Keep records of how far the weight falls from the cart below.
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Average
1 Book ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
2 Books ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
3 Books ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
Conclusion:
1. Explain the relationships you observed.
2. What forces were acting on the car BEFORE it started its motion down the
ramp? (Draw and label a figure.)
3. What forces were acting on the weight BEFORE it started down the ramp?
(Draw and label a figure.)
4. What forces were acting on the weight when the car was stopped by the
pencil and the weight continued on? (Draw and label a figure.)
5. How would your results change if the ramp was at an even steeper slope of
6 books? Use your data to estimate an answer.
6. Explain in simple language, but using the terms introduced in this
chapter, what happened to the car and the weight.
7. How does this experiment demonstrate conservation of momentum?