Conservation Laws and C

Length of the shutter plate 10 cm

Masses of the carts 0.383 Kg and 0.38

Estimation of error due to friction and unlevel track

Time recorded by two photogates for a moving cart

Estimated error in velocity for a cart moving through two photogates

Estimated error in total momemntum for two carts moving through two photogates

Estimated error in total kinetic energy for two carts moving through two photogates

PART – A (Momentum and energy conservation in elastic collision when one cart

Velocity v2 Velocity v'1

S. N. Mass m1 (kg) Mass m2 (kg) Velocity v1 (m/s)
(m/s) (m/s)
1 0.383 0.38 0.575
2 0.433 0.43 0.538
3 0.453 0.45 0.376
4 0.393 0.385 0.556
5 0.443 0.45 0.529

Total Momentum Total Kinetic Energy

S. N. Before Difference (in %) Before
After Collision After Collision
Collision Collision

pB = p1 – p2 pA = – p'1 + p'2 (pB – pA)*100/pB KB = K1 + K2 KA = K'1 + K'2

1 0.220 0.210 4.5 0.063 0.058
2 0.233 0.215 7.7 0.063 0.054
3 0.204 0.124 39.2 0.032 0.017
4 0.151 0.158 -4.6 0.061 0.032
5 0.199 0.164 17.6 0.062 0.030
PART – B (Momentum and energy conservation in elastic collision when bot

Velocity v2 Velocity v'1

S. N. Mass m1 (kg) Mass m2 (kg) Velocity v1 (m/s)
(m/s) (m/s)
1 0.383 0.380 0.407 -0.410 -0.165
2 0.393 0.390 0.505 -0.559 -0.287
3 0.453 0.450 0.543 -0.481 -0.155
4 0.403 0.400 0.538 -0.694 -0.372
5 0.433 0.430 0.508 -0.595 -0.298

Change in momentum Total Kinetic Energy

S. N. Difference (in %) Before
For cart 1 For cart 2 After Collision
Collision
p1 – ( – p'1) p2 – ( – p'2) KB = K1 + K2 KA = K'1 + K'2
1 0.219 0.218 0.299626107291263 0.064 0.010
2 0.311 0.302 2.8 0.111 0.025
3 0.316 0.324 -2.5 0.119 0.018
4 0.366 0.363 0.8 0.155 0.037
5 0.349 0.342 2.0 0.132 0.028

PART – C (Momentum and energy conservation in inelastic collision when o

Velocity v2 Velocity v'1

S. N. Mass m1 (kg) Mass m2 (kg) Velocity v1 (m/s)
(m/s) (m/s)
1 0.383 0.380 0.571 0.243
2 0.403 0.400 0.543 0.225
3 0.433 0.430 0.529 0.217
4 0.453 0.450 0.518 0.219
5 0.483 0.480 0.515 0.212

Total Momentum Total Kinetic Energy

S. N. Difference (in %)
S. N. Before Difference (in %) Before
After Collision After Collision
Collision Collision
1 0.219 0.169 22.8 0.063 0.019
2 0.219 0.163 25.7 0.060 0.017
3 0.229 0.166 27.4 0.061 0.016
4 0.235 0.176 24.8 0.061 0.017
5 0.249 0.181 27.4 0.064 0.017

RESULTS:

The major conclusions that can be drawn from the above experiment are:

I. Momentum is always conserved. This is why the percentage difference in the values
before and after the collisions (in all cases) is very small and is majorly due to unaccou
practical errors, friction and air drag. The equipment also might not have been sensiti
minute changes.

II. On the other hand, kinetic energy is conserved only in elastic collisions, but not in i
Thus, the difference in kinetic energies in cases A and B is negligible, and in case C, it i
vation Laws and Collisions

kg

Photogate 2
Photogate 1 (sec.) (sec.) Difference
0.17 0.184 8.24 %

7.60 %

7.76 %

14.705 %

collision when one cart is stationary)

Velocity v'2 (m/s)

0.552
0.500
0.275
0.410
0.364

Difference (in %)

7.9
14.3
46.9
47.5
51.6
tic collision when both carts are moving)

Velocity v'2 (m/s)

0.165
0.217
0.240
0.214
0.200

Difference (in %)

83.7
77.2
84.6
76.1
79.0

astic collision when one cart is stationary)

Velocity v'2 (m/s)

0.199
0.180
0.168
0.172
0.163

Difference (in %)
 Difference (in %)

69.8
72.0
73.1
71.2
73.1

experiment are:

age difference in the values of momentum

d is majorly due to unaccounted factors like
might not have been sensitive enough to detect

lastic collisions, but not in inelastic collisions.

negligible, and in case C, it is substantial