Name:Date:

Momentum – Demonstrations and Definitions

Examples: You will see various kinds of collisions. Look at the “Before Collision” pictures, each showing a moving object running into a stationary object. In the column “After Collision,” draw arrows representing the velocity of each object after the collision.

Things to Notice:

  1. In these examples, what is the “system”?
  1. In these examples, what does it mean for the system to be “isolated”?
  1. What is true about the momentum of an isolated system?
  1. How do the first three collisions differ from the second three?
  1. What are the names for these two types of collisions? Give another example of each type of collision.

Other Demonstrations:

Vocabulary: Summarize what you should know about each of the following quantities by completing the table below.

Quantity / One-Sentence Description / Symbol / Unit
Velocity
Change in Velocity
Mass
Momentum

Formulas: Write equations for momentum, change in momentum, and the conservation of momentum here.

Cartoons: Draw one or more cartoons that illustrate the four vocabulary words.

Momentum Reading Questions

  1. Two objects, A & B, have identical velocities. Object A has 3 times the mass of object B.
    Compare the momentum of each object. Justify your answer.
  1. Two other objects, C and D, have identical masses. Object C has twice the velocity of object D. Compare the momentum of each object. Justify your answer.
  1. You are given the following data about a golf club hitting a stationary golf ball:

mass of club head = 0.350 kgspeed of club head before collision = 38 m/s

mass of golf ball = 0.046 kgspeed of club head after collision = 29 m/s

You may want to sketch a picture of the situation.

Calculate the following:

momentum of club head before collision ______

momentum of club head after collision ______

momentum of golf ball before collision ______

momentum of golf ball after collision
How do we know this momentum? ______

speed of the golf ball after it is hit by the golf club ______

  1. You are given the following data about a bowling ball hitting a stationary bowling pin:

mass of bowling ball = 7.0 kgspeed of bowling ball before collision = 11 m/s

mass of bowling pin = 1.5 kgspeed of bowling ball after collision = 6 m/s

You may want to sketch a picture of the situation.

Calculate the following:

momentum of bowling ball before collision ______

momentum of bowling ball after collision ______

momentum of bowling pin before collision ______

momentum of bowling pin after collision
How do we know this momentum? ______

speed of the bowling pin after it is hit by the ball ______