Experiment 7 – Conservation of Momentum

Aim: To investigate the conservation of momentum in

elastic & inelastic collisions and in an explosion.

Apparatus – Air track, trolleys, digital counter, mass

balance

Sources of error and precautions -

1.

2.

Method A – Elastic Collision

The air track was set up and adjusted on a horizontal

surface. The first light gate was fixed at 42 cm and attached
to the digital counter socket marked stop A. The second
light gate distance was set up at 100 cm and attached to
socket Start B while the third light gate was set up at 130 cm
and connected to socket stop B.

The electromagnet was set up and attached to socket start

A. An elastic band was set up next to the electromagnet to
act as the pushing force. Trolley A and B were weighed on a
mass balance. The counter was switched on; the trolleys
were placed on the air track one touching the electromagnet
and one at the 98 cm mark so that the distance covered by
each trolley is 30 cm. The start button on the counter was
pressed. After time A is recorded Timer B is re-setted so that
it could read the exact time taken to cover distance B only.
The time recorded by the counter was written down in the
results.

This procedure was repeated using different masses on the

trolley. The velocity and momentum of the two trolleys
before and after collision was calculated.
Results:

Mass Distance Time Velocit Momentum

Trolle of covered y
y trolle m v=2s Mom = M * V
y s t
Kg m/s Kg m/s
1 st Try
Momentum before collision
A
B ***
Momentum after collision
A ***
B
2 nd Try
Momentum before collision
A
B ***
Momentum after collision
A ***
B

Conclusion:

1. From the experiment it was observed that the energy of

trolley A was ___________ to trolley B.
2. From the result table it can be seen that the momentum
of trolley A is ____________to that of trolley ________. Also the
sum of the momentum ________ collision of A is equal to the
sum of the momentum _________collision.
3. So we can clearly state that momentum is
______________________
4. Momentum __________________is equal to momentum
________________________.