Victoria Ball

Hypothesis:
As the mass increases, the momentum increases.
Questions:
1. Carts have the same mass first trial then add mass to car after each trial.
2. Independent variable is the mass
3. We add more mass to the car each trial.
4. Dependent Variable is the speed and distance.
5. Controls are the cart, the distance, and the initial force.
6. We will need two carts, mass blocks, the motion sensor, and a track. Two carts will be set up
opposite to each other with masses added to one car.
7. Be cautious of the cart when it is moving.
8. We will have two trials for each mass.
Procedure:
Step 1: Set up track.
Step 2: Weight each cart and place the carts on the track on opposite sides.
Step 3: Set up two motion sensors towards each of the carts.
Step 4: Add 3N of force to each cart with no mass added on and record observations. Repeat
step twice.
Step 5: Repeat step with the same force but add 500g of mass to one cart before initial force is
given and record observations. Repeat step twice.
Step 6: Repeat step with the same force but add 1000g of mass to one cart before initial force is
given and record observations. Repeat step twice.
Step 7: Observe and record data.

1.
2.

1.

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3.
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Data collection:
We will record the time and the speed before and after the collision.
We plan to find the average speed of each trail and then use those values to find momentum of
each cart. We then will subtract the values to find the change in momentum as the carts collide.
Results Section:
It was hard to add the weight to the cart after we first pushed the cart. The mass increase the
momentum of one of the carts. We added the weight before we applied the initial force to the
cart.
Conclusion Section:
No, because as mass increased, the momentum increased according to our results.
We thought the cart with less mass would not get pushed back by the cart with mass as much
as it did.
Yes, the table shows that an increase in mass results in an increase in momentum.
Persuade:
The greater mass added to the cart, the greater the momentum is.
As we added more mass to one of the carts the momentum seemed to increase.

3. Our results are not very reliable due to the fact that there may have been human error. Also, it
was hard to give the cart the exact same amount of force each time we conducted the
experiment.
4. If we keep increasing mass the momentum will continue increasing with is also explained by the
equation of Momentum=mass*velocity.
5. We can test the conclusions by doing further experiences and slightly changing our experiment
to make it reliable and no human error.
6. This brings up problems of how to complete record and gather data in which is correct and
allows us to draw correct conclusions.
7. You could test this by conducted investigations with only having one cart or carts with larger
masses. You could also only use one cart colliding with still object and observe the momentum.
Relate:
1. Some applications include a car traveling the same speed of a bike and colliding with each other
and trying to stop different objects with a constant speed and acceleration.
2. Yes the results of our experiment fit the law of momentum which is Momentum= Mass* Velocity.

Trial 1

Time(.5 sec)before

Time(1.5 sec)after

Cart 1 495g

0.294

-0.174

Cart 2 513.5g

0.395

-0.096

Trial 2

Time(.5 sec)before

Time(1.5)after

Cart 1 495g

0.446

-0.256

Cart 2 513.5g

0.131

-0.225

Trial 3
Cart 1 495g
Cart 2 + 500g
Trial 4

Time(.5 sec)before

Time(1.5 sec)after

0.3

-0.122

0.246

0.105

Time(.5 sec) before

Time(1.5 sec)after

Cart 1 495g

0.314

-0.118

Cart 2 +500g

0.265

0.088

Trial 5

Time(.5 sec)before

Time(1.5 sec)after

Cart 1 495g

0.393

-0.122

Cart 2 +1000g

0.246

0.105

Trial 6

Time(.5 sec)before

Time(1.5 sec)after

Cart 1 495g

0.397

-0.187

Cart 2 + 1000g

0.341

0.01