Although the data collected using the photo gates was exceptionally clean one problem arose when the masses were changed. When a mass was added to one cart the distance that the gate was blocked changed. This would be problematic for students to accomplish. Additionally for some collisions one of the photo gate would be blocked by two different widths. Therefore one of the velocity readings given by the program would be incorrect and would have to be changed. This would be too hard for most students.
Today we completed the collision lab using two photo gates and the vernier dynamics system. The relationship between Σpf and Σpi what investigated as well as the relationship between ΣEkf and ΣEki. All collisions were either with the magnetic ends in which case no sound was created during the collision or with the velcro side in which the two carts were stuck together after the collision. Although the data collected using the photo gates was exceptionally clean one problem arose when the masses were changed. When a mass was added to one cart the distance that the gate was blocked changed. This would be problematic for students to accomplish. Additionally for some collisions one of the photo gate would be blocked by two different widths. Therefore one of the velocity readings given by the program would be incorrect and would have to be changed. This would be too hard for most students. There are two things that are apparent from these two graphs: momentum can be positive and negative whereas Ek can only be positive, and momentum is conserved for all types of collisions even if energy isn't conserved.
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