Measuring Momentum
Recommended for grades 5–12.
Introduction
Last Tuesday night, police officers were dispatched to the remote icy intersection of Elm Road and Winding Way for a routine collision investigation. The driver of a car seems to have lost control of his vehicle on the ice and crashed into a black van sitting idle on the side of the road.
Investigators took some measurements at the crime scene in order to determine how fast the car was going before it hit the van. Since the car skidded on an icy road, there were no tire tracks to measure to determine its speed. However, the van was parked on a sandy shoulder, and investigators were able to measure the distance it was pushed when the car hit it.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Establish a relationship between the momentum of a vehicle and the distance a stationary object moves when the vehicle hits it.
- Accurately gather data from a collision of a vehicle with a stationary object.
- Establish a relationship between the distance an object moves after a collision with a vehicle and the momentum of the vehicle.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.