Essay Database

Conservation of Momentum Kristin Favreau October 26, 1999 Purpose: To show that momentum is conserved in a closed system by illustrating the conservation of momentum in an elastic collision and an inelastic collision. Method: If momentum is conserved in a closed system, the total momentum of the system before collision should equal the total momentum of the system after the collision. Strobe photos will be used in the calculations that will prove that momentum is conserved. 1.) Elastic …

…efficiency for the elastic collision was 3.54% and my efficiency for the inelastic collision was 1.01 %. Less than 10 % of the momentum was lost in either collision indicating a good experiment. The lost momentum can be attributed to the transfer from mechanical energy to thermal energy. Sources of Error: 1.) The distances measured in the two strobe photos were estimated. 2.) The measurement of time was an average. % error = difference x 100 sum of all 1.) % error = .00032 x 100 = 3.54 % error .00904 2.) % error = .0001 x 100 = 1.01 % error .0099