When impulse and momentum are combined with Newton’s Third Law (The Law of Action and Reaction), we can show that in collisions (without any forces like friction), the total amount of momentum of the system (all objects involved in the collision) is conserved, that is, the same before and after the collision. This lab will take you through these important concepts and help you understand how to solve problems involving forces, time, and momentum.
This lab will be done in class with help from the instructor. Each student will complete his or her own document usually using data that is different from other students. Save the document frequently during the lab and just before uploading it when it is ready for grading.
In this activity, your lab will help demonstrate Newtons second law, F=ma.
- For part one of the lab open the simulation:
- For part two open the simulation:
- Answer the questions for the attached document.
