Mechanics Dynamics

1.3.05-11/15 Laws of collision with Cobra3 / Air track or Demonstration track

What you can learn about

 Conservation of momentum
 Conservation of energy
 Linear motion
 Velocity
 Elastic loss

Principle:
The velocity of two gliders, moving
without friction on an air-cushion
track, are measured before and after
collision, for both elastic and inelas-
tic collision.

Set-up of experiment P2130511 with air track

What you need:

Experiment P2130515 with demo track
Experiment P2130511 with air track
Air track rail 11202.17 1
Blower 230V/50Hz 13770.97 1
Pressure tube, l = 1.5 m 11205.01 1
Glider for air track 11202.02 1
Diaphragm, l = 100 mm 11202.03 2
Tube with plug 11202.05 2 2
Needle with plug 11202.06 2 2
Fork with plug 11202.08 1 1
Rubber bands for fork with plug, 10 pcs. 11202.09 1 1
Plate with plug 11202.10 1 1
Starter system, mechanical with release 11202.13 1
Magnet with plug for starter system 11202.14 1 1
Endholder for air track rail 11202.15 2
Slotted weights, 10 g, coated black 02205.01 4 10
Slotted weight, 50 g, coated black 02206.01 4 6
Light barrier, compact 11207.20 2 2
Portable balance, OHAUS CS2000 48917.93 1 1
Demonstration Track, Aluminium, l = 1.5 m 11305.00 1
Cart, low friction sapphire bearings 11306.00 2
Starter system for motion track 11309.00 1
Weight for low friction cart, 400 g 11306.10 2
Shutter plate for low friction cart, w = 100 mm 11308.00 2
Holder for light barrier 11307.00 2 Measuring parameters for velocity measurement
End holder for demonstration track 11305.12 1
Connecting cable, 4 mm plug, 32 A, red, l = 100 cm 07363.01 2 2
Connecting cable, 4 mm plug, 32 A, yellow, l = 100 cm 07363.02 2 2 Tasks:
Connecting cable, 4 mm plug, 32 A, blue, l = 100 cm 07363.04 2 2 1. Elastic collision 2. Inelastic collision
Cobra3 Basic-Unit, USB 12150.50 1 1 A glider whose mass always re- A glider, whose mass always re-
Power supply 12V/2A 12151.99 1 1 mains unchanged collides with a mains unchanged, collides with a
Software Cobra3, Timer/Counter 14511.61 1 1 second resting glider at a constant constant velocitiy with a second
Plasticine, 10 sticks 03935.03 1 1 velocity. A measurement series, in resting glider. A measurement se-
Support rod, stainless steel 18/8, l = 500 mm 02032.00 2 which the velocities of the first ries with different masses of the
Barrel base -PASS- 02006.55 2 glider before the collision and the resting glider is performed: the
Bosshead 02043.00 2 velocities of both gliders after it velocities of the first glider before
Stop, adjustable 11202.19 1 are to be measured, is conducted the collision and those of both
Connecting cable, 4 mm plug, 32 A, red, l = 10 cm 07359.01 2 2 by varying mass of the resting gliders, which have equal veloci-
Diaphragm, l = 25 mm 11202.04 2 glider. ties, after it are to be measured.
PC, Windows XP or higher

Complete Equipment Set, Manual on CD-ROM included

Laws of collision with Cobra3 /
Air track or Demonstration track P21305 11/15
22 Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D - 37070 Gttingen
 LEP
Laws of collision with Cobra3 1.3.05
-11

Related topics 2. Inelastic collision

Conservation of momentum, conservation of energy, linear A glider, whose mass always remains unchanged, collides with
motion, velocity, elastic loss, elastic collision, inelastic colli- a constant velocitiy with a second resting glider. A measure-
sion. ment series with different masses of the resting glider is per-
formed: the velocities of the first glider before the collision and
Prinicple those of both gliders, which have equal velocities, after it are to
The velocity of two gliders, moving without friction on an air- be measured.
cushion track, are measured before and after collision, for both
elastic and inelastic collision. ELASTIC COLLISION
Set-up
Equipment In accordance with Figs. 1 and 2.
Cobra3 Basic Unit 12150.00 1
Power supply, 12 V 12151.99 1
RS232 data cable 14602.00 1
Cobra3 Timer / Counter Software 14511.61 1 Fig. 2. Circuit diagram
Air track, basic set 11202.77 1
Tube with plug 11202.05 1
Needle with plug 11202.06 1
Starter system, mechanical, with trigger 11202.13 1
Magnet with plug for starter system 11202.14 1
Plasticine 03935.03 1
Light barrier, compact 11207.20 2
Blower 13770.97 1
Pressure tube, l = 1,5 m 11205.01 1
Support rod, stainless steel, l = 500 mm 02032.00 2
Slotted weight, 50 g, black 02206.01 4
Slotted weight, 10 g, black 02205.01 4
Barrel base, -Pass- 02006.55 2
Boss head 02043.00 2
Stop, adjustable 11202.19 1
Portable balance, CS2000 48892.00 1
Connecting cord, l = 100 cm, red 07363.01 2
Connecting cord, l = 100 cm, blue 07363.04 2
Connecting cord, l = 100 cm, yellow 07363.02 2
Connecting cord, l = 10 cm, red 07359.01 2
PC Windows95 or higher

Tasks red blue yellow red blue yellow

1. Elastic collision
A glider whose mass always remains unchanged collides with
a second resting glider at a constant velocity. A measurement
series, in which the velocities of the first glider before the colli-
sion and the velocities of both gliders after it are to be mea-
sured, is conducted by varying mass of the resting glider.
left right

Fig. 1. Experimental set-up for the elastic collision

PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen P2130511 1
 LEP
1.3.05 Laws of collision with Cobra3
-11

Procedure The table shows a typical exemplary measurement:

Start the Timer / Counter program and set the measuring The various intermediate results can, e.g., be calculated
parameters for the velocity measurements in accordance with the calculator integrated in WINDOWS.
with Fig. 3. Within the framework provided by the measuring accuracy,
Load the glider with an arbitrary number of slotted weights: the validity of the conservation of momentum and energies
Always put the same number of weights on both sides of the laws have been confirmed.
glider to prevent it from tipping.
Place the light barrier which is connected to the Timer 1 jack
to the left at the 60-cm mark. Position the light barrier that it
connected to the Timer 2 jack to the right at the 140 cm
mark.
Mount the 10-cm screen on the glider.
Adjust the air track until it is level. Allow the glider to move
through the two light barriers at a constant velocity in order
to determine whether there is a velocity gradient between
the two light barriers. If necessary, readjust the air track. Fig. 3. Measuring parameters for velocity measurement
Start recording measurements again in accordance with
Fig.3 in order to erase all previously recorded measured val-
ues.
Insert the fork with the rubber band into the lower hole of
one glider and the plate with plug into the lower hole of the
other glider. The lower holes were selected so that the
power transfer occurs as close as possible to the height of
the gliders centre of gravity.
Position the two gliders at opposite ends of the air track and
give each of them a slight push in the direction of the mid-
dle of the track.
Initially the two light barriers measure the velocity of the glid-
ers before the collision. The collision absolutely must take
place between the two light barriers. In the case of an elas-
tic collision the two gliders reverse their direction and again
pass through the light barriers, which now measure the
velocities after the collision.
Note the measured values and repeat the measurement with
different glider masses, if desired.

Results
Since the impulse and the velocity of a glider are vector
quantities, the measured velocities must be given signs. A
glider moving from left to right, i.e. that moves in the direc-
tion of increasing cm marks, is given a positive velocity; in
the other direction it is considered negative.

Table: Measurement values of elastic collision

Left glider Right glider

Mass / kg 0.2104 0.3006
Velocity before the collision / m/s 0.546 -0.562
Velocity after the collision / m/s -0.736 0.330
Momentum before the collision / kgm/s 0.1149 -0.1689
Momentum after the collision / kgm/s -0.1549 0.0992
Sum of momentums before the collision / kgm/s -0.0541
Sum of momentums after the collision / kgm/s -0.0557
Kinetic energy before the collision / Nm 0.0314 0.0475
Kinetic energy after the collision / Nm 0.0570 0.0164
Sum of the kinetic energies before the collision / Nm 0.0788
Sum of the kinetic energies after the collision / Nm 0.0734

2 P2130511 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen

Laws of collision with Cobra3
INELASTIC COLLISION
Set-up
In accordance with Figs. 2 and 4.
Procedure
Start the Timer / Counter program and set the measuring
parameters for the velocity measurements in accordance
with Fig. 3.
Load the glider with an arbitrary number of slotted weights:
Always put the same number of weights on both sides of the
glider to prevent it from tipping.
Place the light barrier which is connected to the Timer 1 jack
to the left at the 60-cm mark. Position the light barrier that it
connected to the Timer 2 jack to the right at the 140 cm
mark.
Mount the 10-cm screen on the glider.
Adjust the air track until it is level. Allow the glider to move
through the two light barriers at a constant velocity several
times in order to determine whether there is a velocity gra-
dient between the two light barriers. If necessary, readjust
the air track.
Start recording measurements again in accordance with
Fig. 3 in order to erase all previously recorded measured val-
ues.
Insert the needle with plug into the lower hole of one glider
and the tube with plug into the lower hole of the other glid-
er. Fill the tube with Plasticine. The lower holes were select-
ed so that the force transfer occurs as close as possible to
the height of the gliders centre of gravity.
Fig. 4. Experimental set-up for the inelastic collision
PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen
LEP
1.3.05
-11
Position the two gliders at opposite ends of the air track and
give each of them a slight push in the direction of the mid-
dle of the track. It is advisable to give one glider a clearly
higher initial impulse than the other so that the gliders do not
come to a standstill between the light barriers.
Initially, the two light barriers measure the velocity of the
gliders before the collision. The collision absolutely must
take place between the two light barriers. In the case of an
inelastic collision the two gliders remain together after the
collision and move in one common direction. The light bar-
rier that is located in the direction of this movement is
obscured by both gliders after the collision and accordingly
supplies two similar velocities for the gliders subsequent to
the collision. For the numerical evaluation, the mean of
these two velocities is used.
Note the measured values and repeat the measurement with
different glider masses, if desired.
Results
Since the impulse and the velocity of a glider are vector
quantities, the measured velocities must be given signs. A
glider moving from left to right, i.e. that moves in the direc-
tion of increasing cm marks, is given a positive velocity; in
the other direction it is considered negative.
The table shows a typical exemplary measurement:
The various intermediate results can, e.g., be calculated
with the calculator integrated in WINDOWS.
P2130511 3
 LEP
1.3.05 Laws of collision with Cobra3
-11

Remarks
Due to the finite expansion of the light barriers light beam,
individual scattering, which is a result of the design toler-
ances, can occur when the light barrier is obscured and re-
exposed. A reproducible accuracy with an error of approxi-
mately 3% can be expected in the velocity measurement.
Since each glider interrupts the same light barrier twice
when testing the momentum law the total error in the
momentum calculation adds up to approximately 12%.
When the blower is switched on and off erroneous pulses
can be recorded; they appear as measured values of high
velocities.
The course of the experiment can be modified to obtain fur-
ther knowledge, e.g. (See 1.3.05-01); collision of a glider
with a glider at rest; ...
Ensure that the rubber band is not pushed back so far in the
collision that the plate of one sled does not touch the fork of
the other.
If the velocity of the gliders is too high, they can come in
contact with the track on collision and thus loose energy.
Velocities that are too low result in energy losses especially
in cases with old rubber bands that only have a low resilien-
cy.
The tube with Plasticine should be refilled with reproducible
after approximately three collisions in order to ensure that
the collisions are really completely inelastic.

Table: Measurement values of inelastic collision

Left glider Right glider

Mass / kg 0.2104 0.3006
Velocity before the collision / m/s 0.206 -0.670
Velocity after the collision / m/s -0.295 -0.295
Momentum before the collision / kgm/s 0.0433 -0.2014
Momentum after the collision / kgm/s -0.0621 -0.0887
Sum of momentums before the collision / kgm/s -0.1581
Sum of momentums after the collision / kgm/s -0.1508
Kinetic energy before the collision / Nm 0.0045 0.0675
Kinetic energy after the collision / Nm 0.0092 0.0131
Sum of the kinetic energies before the collision / Nm 0.0719
Sum of the kinetic energies after the collision / Nm 0.0222

4 P2130511 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen