About

When the cart is given a hard push, the magnetic force is not enough to slow down the cart. As a result, the cart comes into contact, losing about 17% of it's kinetic energy in the form of thermal and sound energy during the collision. This video is created to clear the misconception that cart moving apart always have its KE conserved as well as to compare the graphs with the elastic collision

For Teachers

- inelastic different mass.mp4

Credits

Author: Leong Tze Kwang, Lim Beng Choo

Document Brief: Title: "Tracker 5/5 Perfectly Inelastic Collision with Different Masses by Leongster"

This document investigates a 5/5 perfectly inelastic collision scenario where two objects of different masses collide and stick together post-collision. The analysis focuses on momentum conservation, energy dissipation, and the dynamics of perfectly inelastic collisions involving mass asymmetry.

Study Guide:

Objective: Examine the behavior of a 5/5 perfectly inelastic collision between two objects of unequal masses, emphasizing momentum conservation and energy transformation.

Key Concepts:

1. Perfectly Inelastic Collisions:

   • A collision where the objects stick together after impact, resulting in maximum kinetic energy loss while conserving momentum.

2. Conservation of Momentum:

   • The total momentum before and after the collision remains constant: , where and are the masses of the two objects.

3. Energy Dissipation:

   • A substantial portion of kinetic energy is converted into heat, sound, and deformation due to the inelastic nature of the collision.

4. Final Velocity Calculation:

   • The shared velocity post-collision is .

Experiment Overview:

• Setup: Two objects with different masses collide on a frictionless surface and stick together post-collision. Their motion is analyzed using Tracker software.

• Procedure:

  • Measure the initial velocities of both objects and the final combined velocity post-collision.

  • Verify momentum conservation.

  • Calculate the energy lost as a percentage of the initial kinetic energy.

• Observation Points:

  • Final velocity of the combined mass.

  • Energy loss due to collision.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does mass asymmetry influence the final velocity?

   • Answer: The final velocity is a mass-weighted average of the initial velocities, with the larger mass having a greater influence.

2. Why is kinetic energy not conserved in this collision?

   • Answer: Kinetic energy is transformed into other forms, such as heat and sound, due to the inelastic nature of the collision.

3. How can the percentage of energy loss be calculated?

   • Answer: By comparing the system's total kinetic energy before and after the collision: .

Applications:

• Insights into collision safety mechanisms and energy absorption in vehicle crashes.

• Applications in material science to study deformation properties.

• Demonstrating momentum conservation in asymmetrical systems.

FAQ:

1. What defines a 5/5 perfectly inelastic collision? A collision where the objects stick together post-impact, with maximum energy loss and complete momentum conservation.

2. How does mass difference affect the collision? The final velocity is closer to the initial velocity of the more massive object, as it contributes more to the total momentum.

3. Is momentum always conserved? Yes, momentum conservation is a fundamental principle that holds true regardless of the energy loss.

4. How much energy is typically lost in such collisions? The exact amount depends on the initial conditions, but perfectly inelastic collisions generally have the highest energy dissipation.

5. What practical applications does this study have? This study is relevant to engineering designs for energy absorption, understanding material deformation, and analyzing collision dynamics in various fields.