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In a report of an experiment to verify the principle of conservation of momentum, a student wrote the following: I assembled the apparatus needed for the experiment - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2006
Question 1
In a report of an experiment to verify the principle of conservation of momentum, a student wrote the following: I assembled the apparatus needed for the experiment... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:In a report of an experiment to verify the principle of conservation of momentum, a student wrote the following: I assembled the apparatus needed for the experiment - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 1 - 2006
Step 1
Draw a labelled diagram of the apparatus used in the experiment.
Answer
To draw the labelled diagram of the apparatus for the experiment verifying the conservation of momentum, the following components should be included:
- A straight runway or air track connected to a timer.
- Two trolleys placed on the runway.
- Photogate sensors or motion sensor used to measure the velocities of the trolleys.
- Labels should indicate:
- 'Runway' for the air track
- 'Trolley 1' and 'Trolley 2' for the trolleys
- 'Timer' or 'Photogate' for the timing device and any means of attaching the trolleys.
- Ensure to include details such as the direction of motion and spaces between the trolleys as needed.
Step 2
How did the student measure the mass of the trolleys?
Answer
The student measured the mass of the trolleys using an electronic balance or weighing scales. The procedure involved placing each trolley on the scale to get a precise measurement of its mass. It is important to record each mass accurately.
Step 3
Explain how the student calculated the velocity of the trolleys.
Answer
The student calculated the velocity of the trolleys using the formula:
ext{velocity} = rac{ ext{distance}}{ ext{time}}
To determine velocity, they measured the distance traveled by the trolleys and the time taken to cover that distance. The average velocity could be calculated by using the distance from the starting point to the end and the elapsed time recorded via the timer.
Step 4
Step 5
How did the student verify the principle of conservation of momentum?
Answer
The student verified the principle of conservation of momentum by comparing the total momentum before and after the interactions of the trolleys. They calculated the momentum for both the initial state (before collision) and the final state (after collision) and ensured that:
By confirming that these values were approximately equal, the student demonstrated the conservation of momentum.