Community College of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Experiment Number: M-9B

Title: Conversation of Energy and Momentum

Dynamic Track Version

Performed by: Karama Hasasna

Physics course: Physics 140

Lab day: 3/19/2018

Lab Instructor: Wojciech Gontar

Date due: 3/26/2018

Purpose:

The goal of this experiment is to study the laws of conversation of energy and conversation of

momentum as applied to the collision of two collision cars on a dynamic track.

Procedure:

1. We weight the two carts to make sure they have the same mass using a triple beam

balance. Then We added small weight to the lighter cart so that the masses are as close as

possible and label one A and the other B.

2. we measured the length of top part of each cart, using a centimeter scale. Then we

recorded the length and the mass of each cart a and b in the data sheet.

3. Then we placed cart A at the left end of the dynamic track and cart B at rest between the

two photocell gate timers.

4. we launched cart A briskly and observed it strike cart B.

5. We recorded the final readings of the timers on the data sheet. The time on the left was

for cart A and the time on the right was for cartB. then we calculated the velocity of each

cart and recorded in the data sheet.

6. Calculated the momentum of each cart before and after the collision. Calculated the net

momentum of the system of two cart before and after the collision.

7. Calculated the percent difference in the momentum of the system of two carts.

8. Calculated the impulse on cart A and the impulse on cart B

9. Calculated the coefficient of restitution. Then Calculated the initial and final kinetic

energies in joules. Calculated the percent difference.