Momentum Mountain: Collision Lab

cart 1cart 2velocity

Cart 1 mass (kg)

Cart 1 velocity (m/s)

Cart 2 mass (kg)

Cart 2 velocity (m/s)

PREDICT

How this connects to AP Physics 1 (Topics 4.3 and 4.4): when no outside force acts, total momentum is conserved in every collision. In a perfectly inelastic collision the objects stick together and kinetic energy is lost. In an elastic collision kinetic energy is conserved as well.