MomentumandCollisions Learningobjectives: Studentswillbeabletocalculatethemomentumofanobjectwhengiveninformationaboutit. Studentswillbeabletodifferentiatebetweeninelasticandelasticcollisions Studentswillinteractwithcollisionswithobjectsofvaryingmassandvelocityandobservehow therelativemassandvelocitiesoftheinvolvedobjectsimpacttheresultofthecollision. Assessmentcriteria: Studentscorrectlycalculatethemomentumofanobjectfromagivenmassandvelocity. Studentswillbeabletocategorizeaparticularcollisionasinelasticorelasticbasedonthe qualitative/quantitativeoutcomeofthecollision(ie,ifobjectssticktogether,thecollisionis inelastic[qualitative].Ifkineticenergyisconserved,thecollisioniselastic[quantitative]) Givenacollision,studentswillbeabledeterminefactorssuchastherelativemass/velocityof theobjectsinvolved Benchmark/Standard:12BPS4.

1 Objects change their motion only when a net force is applied. Laws of
motion are used to calculate precisely the effects of forces on the motion of objects. The magnitude of the change in motion can be calculated using the relationship F=ma, which is independent of the nature of the force. Whenever one object exerts force on another, a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction is exerted on the first object.

PriorKnowledge/PriorConceptions: Studentsshouldbefamiliarwiththeideaofenergyconservationinscience Studentsshouldhavebecomfortablewithbasicvectoraddition StudentsshouldhavedonesomeworkwithKineticenergytheequationE=1/2mv2shouldbe familiar. StudentsshouldalsohavedonesomeworkwithNewtonslawsofmotion,particularlythe second,andbefamiliarwithitwrittenasF=ma StudentswillprobablyhaveseenaNewtonsCradlebefore. Instructionalstrategies:Thelessonwillemployalecture,punctuatedwithdemonstrations,to introducethesubject,thensmallgroupdiscussionofproblemstoreinforcethequantitative aspectsofmomentumconservation.Alabsegmentwillreinforcethequalitativeaspects,aswell assomequantitative. Instructionalresourcesused: TheDemonstrationsweredemonstrationsIremembermyhighschoolteachersusing ThelabfeelslikesomethingIdidwhenIwasinhighschool.Idontrememberexactlywhatwe didwithit,butIdorememberthecartsandtrackThislab (http://electron9.phys.utk.edu/Collisions/collision_lab.htm)hasasimilarideatowhatIwas thinking,butitsdoneawkwardlyasawebbasedlab. Materialsandsetupneeded: Forthedemonstration/lectureportion: NewtonsCradle 2Balls,onethatwillcollideelasticallywiththefloor,onethatcollidesinelastically.If possible,theyshouldbevisuallyindistinguishable. Alumpofclay/putty/somethingthatdeformseasilysimilarinsizetotheballsabove. ForLabportion,Eachgroupneeds: alowfrictiontrackforthecarts(Thetrack/cartsinthelablinkedabovewereEXACTLY

theonesIwasthinkingof.) twocartsthatcancollideelasticallyandinelastically,dependingonwhichendmakes contact massestoaddtothecarts 2Velocitysensorsforeachendofthetrack,andameanstocollectthatdata Classroomshouldbestructuredtoallowforseverallabgroupstositcomfortablyandobserve thecollisions.Fortheproblemrelay,studentsshouldbeabletomoveabouttheclassroom withouttoomuchobstruction Timerequired:3Classperiods Cautions:Whenthrowingthingsatthewall,makesurethattheydontaccidentallyflyoff towardsthestudentsnoonewantstogethitinthefacewithaball.Thestudentsshouldntbe pushingthecartssohardthattheyleavethetrack,butmakesurethattheydontknowthat. Instructionalsequence: Day1. 1. IntroducingthelessonBeginthelessonwiththeNewtonscradleinaction.Ask studentsifanyonehasanideawhatcausesthecradletocontinueonaslongasitdoes. PossibleStudentsresponse(whythatresponsemaycomeup)[ResponseasTeacher]: Conservationofenergy(sincethatwasmentionedpreviouslyinclass)[Thatspartofit, buttheresanotherfactoratplay] Magic(Smartaleckkid)[No,theresaprettysimplescientificexplanation Nothing(Tooearly,noonesconfidentenough.Therearealotofreasonswhy,Ithink) [Well,itpartiallyrelatestotheconservationofenergy,butitalsohastodowith momentum] 2. BodyoftheLessonFromtheCradle,segueintoanintroductiontotheideaoflinear momentum. StartwithaformulationfromNewtonssecondlaw,usingthephrasingfromthePrincipia:
Thechangeofmomentumofabodyisproportionaltotheforceimpressedonthebody,and happensalongthestraightlineonwhichthatforceisimpressed.

Stressingthefactthatneithermassnoraccelerationappearhere,butthisideaofa changeinMomentum. Fromthere,askstudentswhattheythinkNewtonmeantbymomentumIwanttoexplore whetherornotstudentshavecomeacrosstheideabefore,andiftheyunderstandwhyit isimportantwhenstudyingmechanics. PossibleStudentResponse(Whythatresponsemightoccur)[ResponseasTeacher]: Howhardsomethingistostop(Partiallyfromturnofphrase)[Thatsaconsequenceof momentumthatwelltalkaboutlater,soyouredefinitelyontherighttrack] Introducethealgebraicdefinitionofmomentum,p=mv,andusethatwiththemomentum formulationofNewtons2ndlaw,F=dp/dtorF=p/t(dependingonwhethertheclassis usingcalculusornot)toderivethefamiliarF=maforsystemswithconstantmass

F=p/t F=(mv)/t Forconstantmass F=mv/t F=ma

F=dp/dt F=d(mv)/dt=vdm/dt+mdv/dt F=mdv/dt F=ma

UsingF=dp/dtorF=p/t,arriveattheconservationofmomentumforasystemwithno outsideforceactingonit,thetotalmomentumofthesystemcannotchange. Soifwehaveasystemwithnooutsideforceactingonit,whatwillbethechangein momentum? F=0=p/tp=0 Wecallthistheconservationofmomentum.ifwehaveasystemwithoutanyoutside forceactingonit,thentheindividualmomentaofthecomponentsinsidemightchange, butthetotalmomentumofthesystemwont. Breakthisideadownsothatstudentsunderstandthatthisappliestothevectorsumof thecomponentsofthesystem. Asalargerclass,gooversomesystemsandcalculatethetotalmomentumineach Twotwoparticleexamples: ParticleA,withmass5kgandvelocity3m/stotheright, ParticleB,withmass5kgandvelocity4m/stotheright Calculatetheindividualmomenta(A:15kgm/stotheright,B:20kgm/stotheright). Addthemomentumvectors(Bothtotherightadd35kgm/stotheright) ParticleA,withmass2kgandvelocity5m/stotheright, ParticleB,withmass2kgandvelocity3m/stotheleft Calculatetheindividualmomenta(A:10kgm/stotheright,B:6kgm/stotheleft). Addthemomentumvectors(Differentdirectionssubtract4kgm/stotheright)

3. WrappingupthelessonDistributeworksheetsforeitherindividualorsmallgroupwork, calculatingmomentaofvarioussystemsoneparticle,multipleparticle,etc. Somesamplequestionsfromthismightinclude: A5kgballtravels8min4seconds.Whatisthemagnitudeofitsmomentum? Wehaveasystemconsistingofthree1kgballs,A,BandC.Atravelstotheeast withspeed4m/s,Btravelsnorthwithspeed3m/s,andCtravelswestwithspeed8 m /s. WhatisthemomentumofA? WhatisthemomentumofB? WhatisthemomentumofC?

WhatistheTOTALmomentumofthesystem? Whatisntcompletedinclassshouldbecompletedbeforethenextlesson 4. EvaluatingLearningTheprimaryevaluationcomesfromtheendofthelesson,during thecalculationportionsStudentsshouldbejustifyingtheiranswersusingtheideasand formulaepresentedinthelesson,thencalculatingmomentausingthegiveninformation. Day2. 1. IntroductionLeadoffthelessonwithsomeinterestingpoolshotstakenfromYouTube asstudentsentertheclassandgetsettledAskstudentswhywemightbelookingat thesevideos,otherthanbeingfuntowatch.TheAnswerliesinthecollisionswhatforces areactingonthebilliardballsjustbeforeandjustaftertheycollide? Therearentany,sowhatdoesthattellusaboutthemomentumbeforeand after? Itwillbethesame. 2. Bodyoflesson Introducethetwocategoriesofcollisionsthatwereclassicallyinterestedinelasticand inelastic. Startwithelasticcollisions,categorizingthemasacollisionwheremomentumand kineticenergyarebothconserved. Notethatoneresultofthisisthattheduringthecollisiontheparticlescanexchange energy,butyourendresultwillhavethesamenumberofparticlesasitbeganwith Demonstrateelasticcollisionswitheitherapairofbouncyballsorsomethingsimilar,or usingvideosonline.Ineithercase,wanttodemonstrateanexamplewherethekinetic energyisvisiblyidenticalbeforeandafter. Afterthataskstudentswhatmightgointotheinelasticcollision,ifthecriteriaforan elasticcollisionisthatmomentumandkineticenergyarebothconserved. Studentsmightanswer: Energyisconserved,Momentumisnt(sincetheconservationofenergywasina previousunit,butconservationofmomentumisnewer)[Totalmomentumandenergy arealwaysbothgoingtobeconserved,sothatsnotquiteit] Momentumisconserved,energyisnt(Rememberingthatwetalkedaboutconservation ofmomentumthepreviousday)[Rememberthatthelawofenergyconservationsays thatthetotalenergyisALWAYSgoingtobeconserved.Butmaybeifitwasjusta particularTYPEofenergythatwewerelookingat...] MomentumConserved,Kineticenergynotconserved(payingattentiontotheparticular phrasingofthequestion,amongstotherthings)[Yes!] Explainthatinaninelasticcollision,thekineticenergyoftheparticlesisconvertedto differentforms(andistypicallylower),butthemomentumisthesame. Thiscanresultinparticlesstickingtogetherasaresultofthecollision Demonstrateaninelasticcollisionwitheitheraballofclayorvideosonline. NotethatwithKEnotbeingconservedininelasticcollisions,dontwantstudentsto mistakethatwithEnergyingeneralbeingconservedbesurethatitsclearthatenergyIS

conserved,butnotasKEdeformation,heat,etc. Timeallowing,touchonExplosionsasaninelasticcollisionwherethekineticenergy increasesfrombeforetoafter. Aftertheshortlecture,comesthelabportion.Forthispartofthelab,mainlywanttosee twothings 1. Thestudentsbeingabletousethelabequipmenttomeasurethespeedof theircarts. 2. Thestudentssettingupbothelasticandinelasticcollisions. Thereshouldbeavelocitysensoroneachendofthetrack,sothatifthetwocartsareA andB,onesensorwillmeasurethevelocityofA,andtheotherwillmeasurethevelocity ofB. Studentsshouldsetupandobserve4differentcollisions,graphingthevelocityvs.time foreachcartduringeachcollision. Thecollisionsshouldbe: inelasticwithbothcartsmoving inelasticwithonecartmoving elasticwithbothmoving elasticwithonemoving. Studentsshouldmassthecarts(whichshouldhaveidenticalmasses),thenusethis masswiththevelocitymeasuredinthelabtocalculatetheinitialandfinalmomentaand Kineticenergiesofeachcollision,andclassifyeachasElastic/Inelastic 3. WrappingupLessonAftertheyvetakentheirdata,invitestudentstodiscusswhatthey thoughtwasinteresting/notaboutthelab. Askstudentstoqualitativelydescribeanelasticorinelasticcollision,using examplesfromeitherthelaborelsewhere.Couldshowadditionalvideos(oreven thesameonesfromthebeginningofclass)andhavestudentsidentifythetype of collision. 4. EvaluatingLearningDuringthelabportion,wewanttoseestudentsclassifyingthe collisionsbasedoffoftheirobservationsaswellasthedatatheytake Day3. 1. IntroductionAsstudentsentertheclass,morecollisionvideos.somethinginteresting. Particularlyrelevantwouldcollisionsbetweenobjectswithdifferentmasses,likecarsand semis.Havestudentsidentifythemaseitherelasticorinelastic. 2. BodyoflessonHavingpreviouslylookedatelasticandinelasticcollisions,nowwewant topredicttheoutcomeofacollisionusingtheinitialmomentumofthesystem. Inparticular,shouldmodel: Anelasticcollisionwheretheobjectshavesimilarmasses Aninelasticcollisionwheretheobjectshavesimilarmasses Anelasticcollisionwheretheobjectshavedissimilarmasses Aninelasticcollisionwheretheobjectshavedissimilarmasses Afterwards,havestudentsreturntothelabgroupstoreplicatethesecollisions,using

weightsontopofthecollisioncartstocreateamoremassiveobject: i. amovingmassiveobjectcollidingwithastationarysmallerobject ii. amovingsmallerobjectcollidingwithastationarylargerobject iii. amovingmassiveobjectcollidingwithamovingsmallerobject Studentscanhavethecollisionsbeinelasticorelasticastheychoose,butthey needtocalculatethemomentumandkineticenergyforeachcartbeforeand after, andclassifythecollision,astheydidinthepreviousdayslab. Afterthelabportion,haveasetofproblemscalculatingthemomentumforasystemof collidingparticles,andtheoutcomeofthecollision.Dividetheclassintogroupsofsix (thenumberisflexibledependingonhowmanypartsoftheproblemeachstudentshould bedoing),butequalteamswanted,andthenhavetheclassworkthroughtheproblems asarelaywitheachstudentscompletingaportionoftheproblembeforehandingitoff tothenextstudenttocompletethenextpart,havingstudentsrotatethrougheachrolefor differentproblems,sothateveryonegetsavarietyofcalculationexperience. Aroughlayoutofhowtheflowofthisactivitymightwork:

Ifexplosionswerecoveredthedaybefore,thereshouldbeoneprobleminvolvingan explosion.Theideaistoencouragespeed,butmoreimportantlyisthatstudents understandthecalculationsandwhatsgoingoninthecollision,sorewardboth (presumablyaspointseachteamwiththecorrectanswersgetsapoint,andtheteam thatgotthemthefastestgetsanadditionalpoint) Forteamsof4students,afullproblemmightbeasfollows:

QUESTION1:ParticleA,withmass2kgandvelocity5m/stotherightcollideswith ParticleB,whichhasmass2kgandismovingat3m/stotheleft PartA:CalculatetheinitialmagnitudeanddirectionofparticleAsmomentum,andits kineticenergy PartB:CalculatetheinitialmagnitudeanddirectionofparticleBsmomentum,andits kineticenergy PartC:Iftheparticlessticktogether,calculatethetotalmomentumandenergyofthe systembeforeandafterthecollision.(UsepartsA&Babove) PartD:Calculatethefinalvelocityoftheparticlesaftertheycollideandsticktogether. Calculatethekineticenergyofthecombinedparticle 3. WrappingupLessonWhicheverrelayteamperformsthebestshouldgetarewardof somesortcandy,ahomeworkpass,thatsortofthing.Thenclearupanyother questionsstudentsmayhaveaboutcollisionsofvarioussortsDisplaysomesimple setupsandandhavestudentsqualitativelydescribetheoutcomeofthecollisiongiven relativelylittleinformation 4. EvaluatingLearningInthelabandintheRelayactivity,studentsshouldhavemade predictionsontheresultofparticularcollisions,thenmadecalculationsandobservations thatsupportthoseclaims. DesignRationale:ConservationofmomentumisanimportantconceptinNewtonian Mechanics,andIthinkthatcollisionsareaverysimplevisualwaytounderstandand demonstrateit. Therearealotof(simple)calculationsthroughoutthelessonthatrepeattheideathat momentumisALWAYSconservedinthecollision,butKineticEnergyisNOTalwaysconserved throughrepetitionitshouldbeabundantlyclear