Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Air Track

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: air track, approach velocity, conservation of energy, conservation of momentum, elasticity, kinetic
energy, momentum, separation velocity, velocity

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

Imagine going to a bowling alley with a bowling ball and a ping pong ball.

1. Why is a bowling ball better for knocking down pins than a ping pong ball?

The bowling ball has more mass so it builds up more momentum to knock down the pins.

2. Which do you think would knock down more pins, a bowling ball moving 10 meters per second or a bowling
ball moving 10 centimeters per second?

The bowling ball moving 10 centimeters because it builds up more momentum

3. What two factors seem to most affect the amount of damage that occurs in a collision?

Mass and speed

Gizmo Warm-up
An air track is a device that helps scientists study motion. Air
comes out of holes in the track, allowing the gliders to move
with minimal friction.

1. On the Air Track Gizmo, click Play ( ) to view a collision between the two gliders. What do you see?

That when the gliders hit they swap velocities.

2. Click Reset ( ). The velocity (v) of an object describes its speed and direction. The velocity of each
glider is indicated next to the v1 and v2 sliders. Click Play, and then click Pause ( ) just before the
collision.

A. What is the velocity of Glider 1? 5.00 m/s

B. In which direction does Glider 1 move? towards the right/positive direction

C. What is the velocity of Glider 2? -5.00 m/s

D. In which direction does Glider 2 move? towards the left/negative direction

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:

Momentum ● Click Reset.

Question: How does an object’s momentum change when it collides with another object?

1. Explore: The Gizmo allows you to adjust the mass and initial velocity of each glider. Set up each of the
following scenarios, and describe what happens when the gliders collide.

A. The gliders have the same mass but different velocities.

The velocities swap.

B. The gliders have the same mass and one glider is stationary.

They swap velocities. The glider that was moving transfers its velocity over to the stationary
block.

C. The gliders have the same velocity (but in opposite directions) and different masses.

The velocities change for them both to new numbers.

2. Calculate: An object’s momentum (p) describes how hard it is to stop. Momentum is equal to the product
of mass and velocity: p = mv. If mass is measured in kilograms and velocity in meters per second, the unit
of momentum is kilograms-meters per second, or kg•m/s.

A. What is the momentum if the mass is 1.5 kg and the velocity is 4 m/s? 6 kg*m/s

Turn on Show numerical data and use the Gizmo to check your answer.

B. How could you use the Gizmo to increase a glider’s momentum?

If you increase the velocity and the mass the momentum will increase.

3. Gather data: Click Reset. Set m1 to 3.0 kg and v1 to 2.0 m/s. Set m2 to 2.0 kg and v2 to
-4.0 m/s. Fill in the left table, run the collision, and then fill in the right table.

Before collision After collision

Glider Glider 1 Glider 2 Glider Glider 1 Glider 2

Mass 3.0 kg 2.0 kg Mass 3.0 kg 2.0 kg

Velocity 2.0 m/s -4.0 m/s Velocity -2.80 m/s 3.20 m/s

Momentum 6.00 kg*m/s -8.00 Momentum -8.40 6.40 kg*m/s

kg*m/s kg*m/s
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4. Calculate: To find the total momentum, add up the momentum of each glider. (Note: Pay attention to signs.)

A. What was the total momentum of the two gliders before the collision? -2.00 kg*m/s

B. What was the total momentum of the two gliders after the collision? -2.00 kg*m/s

Turn on Show total momentum to check your answers.

5. Experiment: Click Reset. Set up three collisions using any combination of masses and velocities you like.
(The only rule is that the gliders must collide.) Record the mass, velocity, and momentum of each glider
before and after the collision. Then, find the total momentum. Remember to include units.

Glider 1 Glider 2 Total

m v p m v p momentum

14 -6
Before collision 2 kg 7 m/s 3 kg -2 m/s 8 kg*m/s
kg*m/s kg*m/s
-3.8 -7.60 5.20 15.60
After collision 2 kg 3 kg 8 kg*m/s
m/s kg*m/s m/s kg*m/s

9 -8
Before collision 3 kg 3 m/s 1 kg -8 m/s 1.00 kg*m/s
kg*m/s kg*m/s
-2.5 -7.5 8.5 8.5
After collision 3 kg 1 kg 1.00 kg*m/s
m/s kg*m/s m/s kg*m/s

15 -3
Before collision 2.5 kg 6 m/s 1.5 kg -2 m/s 12 kg*m/s
kg*m/s kg*m/s
12
After collision 2.5 kg 0 m/s 0 m/s 1.5 kg 8 m/s 12 kg*m/s
kg*m/s

6. Analyze: What do you notice about the total momentum of the two gliders?

The total moment doesn’t change after the collision. That the total momentum stays the same.

7. Draw conclusions: The principle of conservation of momentum states that, in a closed system, the total
momentum of all of the objects will remain constant. How do your experiments demonstrate conservation of
momentum?

That because the total momentum never changed even after collision the principal must be true.

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 Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
● Click Reset.
Velocity ● Check that the Elasticity is set to 1.0.

Introduction: When two gliders are moving toward each other, the relative speed they are moving together
before the collision is called the approach velocity. Similarly, the speed at which the gliders are moving apart
after the collision is described by the separation velocity. Each is equal to the difference in the gliders’
velocities:
v(approach) = v1 – v2 v(separation) = v2′ – v1′

Question: What rule governs the velocities of two colliding objects?

1. Calculate: Set m1 to 3.0 kg and m2 to 1.5 kg. Set v1 to 4.0 m/s and v2 to -6.0 m/s. Pay attention to the signs
of the velocities as you calculate them.

A. What is the approach velocity of the two gliders? 10 m/s

B. Click Play and then Pause after the collision. What is the velocity of each glider?

Glider 1 velocity: -2.67 Glider 2 velocity: 7.33

C. What is the separation velocity of the two gliders? 10 m/s

D. What do you notice?

That the approach velocity and separation velocity is the same before and after the collision.

2. Experiment: Click Reset. Set up two collisions using any combination of masses and velocities you like.
Calculate the approach velocity and separation velocity for each collision. Remember to include units.

Glider 1 Glider 2
v(approach) v(separation)
m v m v

Before collision 2 kg 6 m/s 3 kg -3 m/s

-4.8 4.20 9 m/s 9 m/s
After collision 2 kg 3 kg
m/s m/s

Before collision 2.5 kg 9 m/s 3 kg -4 m/s 13 m/s 13 m/s

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 -5.18 7.82
After collision 2.5 kg 3 kg
m/s m/s

3. Analyze: So far, you have found that momentum is conserved in a collision. What else appears to be
conserved? Explain your answer.

The velocity approach and separation/ total velocity, stays the same because it can’t be added or taken
away from the system as a whole.

[Note: The following extension is designed as a challenge.]

4. Challenge: So far, you have found two rules that govern the behavior of the gliders before and after a
collision. These two rules are expressed by the equations below. (Note: In each equation, a prime symbol
(′) indicates “after the collision.”)

Before collision After collision

Conservation of momentum: m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1′ + m2v2′

Approach velocity = separation velocity: v1 – v2 = v2′ – v1′

If you are given the initial masses and velocities of the objects, you can use these two equations to solve
for the two unknowns: v1′ and v2′. Try this in the space below. (Hint: Solve the second equation for v2′, and
then substitute this expression into the first equation.)

V1'=v1(m1-m2)+2m2v2/m1+m2
v2'=v1-v2+v1'

5. Solve: For each of the situations given below, determine the final velocity of each glider. Use the Gizmo to
check your answers. (The Gizmo cannot be used to solve the last problem.)

A. Glider 1 has a mass of 2.0 kg and a velocity of 2.6 m/s. Glider 2 has a mass of
3.0 kg and an initial velocity of -4.4 m/s.

v1′ 7 m/s v2′ 14 m/s

B. Glider 1 has a mass of 0.5 kg and a velocity of 9.0 m/s. Glider 2 has a mass of
1.0 kg and an initial velocity of -9.0 m/s.

v1′ -15 m/s v2′ 3 m/s

C. Glider 1 has a mass of 5.0 kg and a velocity of 15.0 m/s. Glider 2 has a mass of
6.0 kg and a velocity of -12.0 m/s.

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 v1′ -14.45 m/s v2′ 12.55 m/s

Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:

● Click Reset.
Kinetic energy ● Check that the Elasticity is set to 1.0.
and elasticity ● Turn off Show numerical data for both gliders.

Introduction: The kinetic energy (KE) of an object is a measure of its energy of motion, measured in joules
(J). Kinetic energy depends on both the mass and velocity of the object:
KE = mv2 / 2

Question: What happens to the kinetic energy of a system during a collision?

1. Calculate: Set m1 to 3.0 kg and v1 to 2.0 m/s. Set m2 to 1.5 kg and v2 to -6.0 m/s.

A. What is the kinetic energy of Glider 1? 6J B. Glider 2? 27J

C. What is the total kinetic energy of both gliders? 33J

2. Run Gizmo: Turn on Show numerical data. Click Play and then Pause after the collision.

A. What is the kinetic energy of Glider 1? 16.67J B. Glider 2? 16.33J

C. What is the total kinetic energy now? 33J

3. Experiment: Click Reset. Set up two collisions using any combination of masses and velocities. Calculate
the kinetic energy of each glider and the total kinetic energy. Remember to include units.

Glider 1 Glider 2 Total

m v KE m v KE KE

18.75
Before collision 3 kg 7 m/s 73.5 J 1.5 kg -5 m/s 92.25 J
J
90.75
After collision 3 kg -1 m/s 1.5 J 1.5 kg 11 m/s 92.25 J
J
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 11.25 60.75
Before collision 2.5 kg 3 m/s 1.5 kg -9 m/s 72 J
J J
After collision 2.5 kg -6 m/s 45 J 1.5 kg 6 m/s 27 J 72 J

4. Summarize: The principle of conservation of energy states that in a closed system the total energy
remains constant. How do your experiments demonstrate this principle?

That even after they collide the total energy never changes. No matter what numbers are used.

5. Experiment: If the colliding objects are deformed in the collision, some of the kinetic energy is converted to
heat and/or sound. The elasticity of a collision is related to the kinetic energy that is preserved in a
collision.

Set the Elasticity to a value less than 1.00 and run an experiment with any combination of masses and
velocities. Record the results below. Remember to include units.

Glider 1 Glider 2 Total

m v KE m v KE KE

Before collision 2 kg 5 m/s 25 J 3 kg -8 m/s 96 J 121 J

-6.7 44.89 -0.2
After collision 2 kg 3 kg 0.06 J 44.95 J
m/s J m/s

6. Calculate: Elasticity is also related to the approach velocity and the separation velocity.

A. What is the approach velocity in the example above? 13 m/s

B. What is the separation velocity in the example above? 6.5 m/s

C. What is the ratio of the separation velocity to the approach velocity? 0.5

D. How does the elasticity of the collision relate to this ratio?

The elasticity that I picked was 0.5 and I believe that the ratio will always be the same as the ratio
between the separation and approach velocities.

7. Gather data: Repeat your experiment with several different values of Elasticity. In each experiment, record
the approach velocity, separation velocity, and the ratio of the separation velocity to the approach velocity.
Remember to include units.

Trial Elasticity v(approach) v(separation) v(separation)

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 v(approach)
1 0.2 9 m/s 1.8 m/s 0.2
2 0.8 10 m/s 8 m/s 0.8
3 0.6 14 m/s 11.2 m/s 0.6

8. Make a rule: Based on your table, how could you calculate the elasticity of a collision if you know the
approach velocity and separation velocity of the colliding objects?

v1’-v2’/v1v2= Elasticity

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