I.

a Elastic Collision sliding small glider into big glider

Glider t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Small .1645 .5743 0.304 0.0061 -0.0871 0.0017 0.0463 0.001 -0.0133 -0.0003 0.007 0.0002 0.0006 0
Big .2538 0.197 0.0039 0.063 0.0013 0.0062 0.0002


II.a Elastic collision sliding big glider into small glider
Glider t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Small .081 0.6173 0.0123 0.094 0.002 0.029 0.0008
Big .11 .301 0.4545 0.0091 0.1661 0.0033 0.1454 0.0029 0.0532 0.0011 0.0331 0.0009 0.0044 0.0001


III.a Inelastic collision sliding big glider into small glider with velcro

t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Pre .0996 .0996 0.502 0.01 0.1606 0.0033 0.0403 0.0011
Post .1509 0.3313 0.0066 0.1565 0.0032 0.0259 0.0007

The lab results and results calculated were similar except for few rounding errors, and omission
of insignificant propagated errors.
Conservation of linear momentum and kinetic energy calculated previously in the lab
(momentum conserved throughout, KE conserved in both elastics, but not inelastic).

I.b Elastic Collision sliding small glider into big glider
Glider t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Small .1818 .5341 0.275 0.0055
-
0.0936
0.0019 0.0419 0.0009
-
0.0143
-
0.0003
0.0058 0.0002 0.0007 0
Big .2886 0.1733 0.0035 0.0555 0.0011 0.0048 0.0001
Momentum: .0419 +/- .0009 = .0555 - .0143 +/- .001 CONSERVED
Kinetic Energy: .0058 +/- .0002 = .0048 + .0007 +/- .0001 CONSERVED

II.b Elastic collision sliding big glider into small glider
Glider t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Small .0687 0.7278 0.0146 0.1108 0.0023 0.0403 0.0012
Big .0915 .301 0.5464 0.0109 0.1661 0.0033 0.1748 0.0035 0.0532 0.0011 0.0478 0.0014 0.0044 0.0001
Momentum: .1748 +/- .0035 = .1108 + .0532 +/- .003 CONSERVED
Kinetic Energy: .0478 +/ .0014 = .0403 + .0044 +/- .001 CONSERVED




III.c Inelastic collision sliding big glider into small glider with velcro

t
i
t'
i
v
i
v
i
v'
i
v'
i
p
i
p
i
p'
i
p'
i
KE
i
KE
i
KE'
i
KE'
i

Pre .0909 .0909 0.5501 0.011 0.176 0.0036 0.0484 0.0014
Post .1354 0.3693 0.0074 0.1744 0.0035 0.0322 0.0009
Momentum: .176 +/- .0036 = .1744 +/- .0035 CONSERVED
Kinetic Energy: .0484 +/- .0014 .0322 +/- .0009 NOT CONSERVED

Analysis / Conclusion:
The following formulas were used to check whether or not momentum and kinetic energy were
conserved:
Conservation of momentum: m
i

= total(m
i
)
Conservation of energy: KE
i
= total(KE
i
)
Throughout each trial, momentum must have been conserved due to the fact that we did not
have any (significant) outside forces acting upon each object. This is implied by Newtons Laws
(conservation of velocity unless acted upon by an outside force, and equal and opposite exertion of
forces against each other). Momentums vector quantity was observable in our first 2 trials (elastic small
mass large mass) as the small mass m bounced off of large mass M after collision, and therefore
had a momentum in the negative direction, which when taken from Ms final momentum gave us the
initial momentum of m.
While momentum was conserved throughout all trials, kinetic energy was only conserved in the
first four trials of the six. The last two trials (inelastic) lost kinetic energy in the form of friction and heat
due to their stick and collision. This is due to the fact that the first four trials (elastic) consisted of the
transfer of kinetic energy to potential during the collision of the springs, and then the return of the
energy to kinetic. The inelastic collisions had no springs and no elasticity, therefore as they collided
some kinetic energy was released in the friction of the Velcro and the vibration of the atoms.
In order to have made our results even more consistent, we may have used a level to ensure the
air glide more balanced. We also may have been able to ensure more consistency by using a more
perfect spring; some kinetic energy was lost to the reverberation of the spring used during the bounce
of the two masses in each elastic collision.