Question

activity a:
momentum\tget the gizmo ready:
\t- 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.

\ta. the gliders have the same mass but different velocities.
\tb. the gliders have the same mass and one glider is stationary.
\tc. the gliders have the same speed (but moving in opposite directions) and different masses.

1. 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.

\ta. what is the momentum if the mass is 1.5 kg and the velocity is 4 m/s?
\tturn on show numerical data and use the gizmo to check your answer.
\tb. how could you use the gizmo to increase a glider’s momentum?

1. gather data: click reset. set $m_1$ to 3.0 kg and $v_1$ to 2.0 m/s. set $m_2$ to 2.0 kg and $v_2$ to -4.0 m/s. fill in the left table, run the collision, and then fill in the right table.

\tbefore collision
\tglider\tglider 1\tglider 2
\tmass\t3.0 kg\t2.0 kg
\tvelocity\t2.0 m/s\t-4.0 m/s
\tmomentum\t\t
\tafter collision
\tglider\tglider 1\tglider 2
\tmass\t\t
\tvelocity\t\t
\tmomentum\t\t

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the momentum formula

The formula for momentum is \( p = mv \), where \( m \) is the mass and \( v \) is the velocity.

Step2: Substitute the given values

We are given \( m = 1.5 \, \text{kg} \) and \( v = 4 \, \text{m/s} \). Substituting these into the formula, we get \( p = 1.5 \times 4 \).

Step3: Calculate the result

\( 1.5 \times 4 = 6.0 \, \text{kg·m/s} \).

Answer:

The momentum is \( 6.0 \, \text{kg·m/s} \).