Elastic Collisions
Overview
Link to Experience: https://play.phenomena.app/player/ChYuPJZh35kNqO3pqT8g
Topics: physics, elastic collisions, momentum, mass, velocity
Grades: 8-10
Standards:
Duration to complete: 5 minutes
Learning outcome: Students will understand how momentum impacts the outcome of elastic collisions.
In the Classroom
Pre-Experience (Things to Look Out For):
Have you ever heard of momentum? What do you think it means?
What factors contribute to momentum?
What does it mean for two things to collide? What usually happens?
How would you expect mass and velocity to impact the outcome of a collision?
What does the word elastic mean in general? What might it mean in this context?
Post-Experience (Things to Think About):
How does increasing the mass of a cart affect its speed after the collision?
How does increasing the initial velocity of a cart affect its speed after the collision?
When does a cart have a velocity of 0 m/s after the collision?
When does a cart continue moving in the same direction after the collision?
In an elastic collision, two objects bounce off of one another. What real-world examples of elastic collisions can you come up with?
