Big Question: What is the relationship between impulse, force, and time during a collision?
- The purpose of this lab was to understand momentum by using the relationship between impulse, force, and time in a collision. We first pushed a cart with an aluminum loop into another aluminum loop on a force probe. From there we conducted our data from the computer and measured the velocity of the cart before and after the collision. With this information we can find the impulse witch is momentum before minus momentum after.
- Momentum before(f): -.127
- Momentum after(i): .133
- Impulse: .3kg *m/s
Conclusion: We learned that impulse is a change in momentum in this lab. Force is equal and opposite. The time increases, the force decreases, and the impulse remains constant in a collision.
Real World Connection:
In tennis the players follow through when hitting the ball which is a collision between the racket and the ball. The act of the serves increase the time which causes a change in momentum witch applies to impulse. The force depends on how hard the player hits the ball. By increasing the time on the swing it also increases the velocity which can determine how good your hit is.
