Impulse Lab

Lab Work:
      In our most recent lab, we performed experiments using the equation for momentum,
P=mV, and the equation for Impulse, J=P(after) - P(before). 

      Our actual test consisted of crashing a cart with a metal ring into a force probe stand with a metal ring. The force probe helped us to calculate the force of the collision. And at the end of the track we also placed a sonar device, which allowed us to calculate the velocity of our cart before and after the collision. We had to perform this test a few times in order to get the data we needed to use. 

(The graph above shows the data we collected from our collision. The blue bar on the bottom was the data we used to find our velocity before and after the collision.)

      Our whiteboard above shows the calculations we made after completing our lab. We used the momentum equation, P=mV to find the momentum of the cart before and after the collision. The mass remained the same at 0.25k. Before the collision, the velocity was 0.3714m/s, and after the collision the velocity was -0.3421m/s. After we had our values for momentum, we subtracted the momentum before the collision from the momentum after the collision. This value would be our impulse for the collision. 

(We also calculated our percent error as shown on the board and found that we had a twenty percent difference.)

Real World Application:

      In our world today, one example of this lab would be a car crash. Now this type of car crash wouldn't involve another car like some of our previous labs. Instead of a car crashing into another vehicle, this car would crash into a wall or something immovable. 

Crash test cars are an excellent example of this concept in real life. By crashing a car into a solid wall, people are able to record impulse, momentum, velocity and many other important factors just like we did in our impulse lab.