group+004

Overview: For our project we plan on creating a ramp similar to the ramp we used in the rollercoaster lab with two different massed cars. We will put the lighter car at the bottom of the track and the heavier car at the top of the track. We will put the end of the track at the end of the table to use as both a bomber problem and to help us measure the information we need throughout the project like velocity.

Data: Since our collision is going to be elastic, we will need to prove that both the momentums are the same throughout the experiment. We will need to find the masses of both of the cars and place the track at the end of the table, so we can use it as a bomber problem to solve for the velocities using vivfdat. To organize our data we will use a "MVP" chart. We will solve for the coefficient of friction and put all of the data together to show that the momentum of the cars is conserved throughout the experiment.

Safety Precautions: Our lab is not very dangerous, but we have to respect the rules of the science lab. This means that we have to take care of the equipment that we use, not fool around, and not do anything that could result in punishment during a normal school science lab.

Materials: Hot Wheels Track Two Hot Wheels Cars Cardboard paper A meter stick Carbon paper Plumbob media type="custom" key="2966750" width="757" height="314"

Procedure: 1. Set up the Hot Wheels Track against a stand. 2. Tape the cardboard paper onto the ground and put carbon paper on top of it. 3. Mass the two cars and record this data. 4. Use the plumbob and find the point on the ground that's exactly below the edge of the ramp. Mark this point. 5. Put the heavier car at the top of the track, with nothing in its way, and wait for it to descend down the track and fall off the edge of the table. 6. Record the displacement in the X direction (distance cars traveled) and Y direction (distance from ramp to floor). Use these measurements to figure out the velocity of the heavier car before the collision by doing a bomber problem. The velocity of the lighter car before the collision would be 0 because it had no speed. 7. Now put the lighter car at the bottom of the track and put the heavier car at the top of the track. Drop the heavier car so it hits the lighter car at the bottom of the ramp. As the two cars fall off the table, they should be moving in a straight line and they should land the carbon paper below. Mark these points and measure the distance. Use these distances to find the velocity of the two cars after the collision by doing two separate bomber problems. 8. Set up a M-V-P chart and fill in the data with all the velocities before and after the collision, as well as the cars' mass. You can figure out the total momentum now. Match the two P values, before and after to see if there was any % error.

Conclusion: Through our experiment we conclude that momentum before an elastic collision is the same as the momentum after the collision, so momentum is conserved. In an elastic collision, momentum is transferred from one object to another, therefore the momentum is conserved. In our experiment, the momentum from the car we dropped was transferred to the other car during the collision, and we know this because the momentum remained the same. One of the potential errors in this experiment is measuring errors because it can be difficult to measure the distances on the cardboard paper. Also, rounding could have affected our calculations. Another error is that the cars bounce on the cardboard paper and create more dots, making it difficult to determine where to measure to. When the car is dropped down the track, the tape on the track could have affected the velocity on the track which would affect our calculations. The track also may not be facing perfectly straight toward the cardboard paper, and this would affect the way the cars fall. All of these factors potentially could have had an effect on our experiment and shifting our data farther away from 100% accuracy.

Experimental Procedure Accuracy: When doing this project and trying to get as close to 100% accuracy as we possible could we took the following actions in trying to perfect it. We used carbon paper to find the exact the spot that the car hit the ground instead of just using an estimate. To make sure that the bomber problems worked perfect, we made sure that the track was perfectly horizontal on the table and was not ramping up or ramping down. Another method we used to try and eliminate error was by using a Plumbob to measure straight down from that table to the floor so we could get as acurate measurements as possible. Overall, to ensure perfection, did multiple trials so we could make sure that our perfect trials were not just fluke incidents. Also, to solve for the correct velocities and momentums, we had to use the Vivfdat equations and the "MVP" charts to ensure that all of our data collection was perfect as well.