Explore Elastic Collisions with Collision Lab Activity!

Question 1: Elastic Collisions

In this question, you will investigate elastic (bouncy) collisions. Be sure that the slider is to the extreme right (elasticity 100%).

Part A

Click Show Values in the upper-right corner. Study the boxes on the screen. What are the mass and initial velocity of ball 1 and ball 2?

Part B

Click Play, and watch the balls collide. Then click Pause. What are the final velocities of ball 1 and ball 2?

The number line shows the starting and ending velocities for ball 1. What’s the change in velocity of ball 1? Calculate the value mathematically, and check it using the number line.

Answer:

Ball 1 has a mass of 0.5 kilogram and an initial velocity of 1.00 meter/second. Ball 2 has a mass of 1.5 kg and an initial velocity of 0.00 meters/second.

When exploring elastic collisions in the Collision Lab activity, you will be able to observe the behavior of colliding objects with different masses and velocities. Elastic collisions are characterized by the conservation of kinetic energy, where the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved before and after the collision.

Understanding the mass and initial velocities of the colliding objects is crucial in predicting the outcomes of the collision. In the given scenario, Ball 1 with a mass of 0.5 kg and an initial velocity of 1.00 m/s collides with Ball 2, which has a mass of 1.5 kg and an initial velocity of 0.00 m/s.

A change in velocity can be calculated by subtracting the final velocity from the initial velocity. In this case, for Ball 1, it results in a change from 1.00 m/s to -0.50 m/s. This change in velocity can be visually represented on a number line, showcasing the direction and magnitude of the change.

A collision is any situation in which two or more bodies quickly exert forces on one another. Despite the fact that the most common usage of the word "collision" refers to situations in which two or more objects clash violently, the scientific usage of the word makes no such assumptions. The following are a few instances of physical encounters that scientists might classify as collisions:

• Legs of an insect are said to collide with a leaf when it falls on one.
• Every contact of a cat's paws with the ground while it strides across a lawn is seen as a collision, as is every brush of its fur with a blade of grass.

Therefore, understanding the concept of collision and analyzing the behavior of colliding objects in scenarios like elastic collisions provides valuable insights into the dynamics of interacting bodies.