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the conservation of energy and the conservation of momentum ZLOObe conserved in a collision
between two ball bearings?

Hypothesis
The VWDWHPHQWRIODZRIconservation of momentum DUHstate that for a collision between object 1
and object 2 in an JLYHQisolated system,EHIRUHWKHFROOLVLRQ the total momentum of the two objects
is equal to the DIWHUWKHFROOLVLRQWKHtotal momentum of the two objects. LQDn isolated system is a
free from the influence of net external forces that RWKHU the momentum of the system. EXW, DFFRUGLQJ
WRthe law of conservation of energy LVthe total energy of an isolated system LV constant UHPDLQVover
time. VRWKHWRWDOHQHUJ\LVVDPHZKHQWKHV\VWHPEHIRUHDQGDIWHUFROOLLRQ. VREHIRUHDQGDIWHUWKH
FROOLVLRQWKHVXPRIWKHNLQHWLFDQGSRWHQWLDOHQHUJLHVLQDQLVRODWHGV\VWHPEHWKHVDPHWKHUHIRUH
DFFRUGLQJWRWKLVin our experiment the conservation of energy and the conservation of momentum
will not be accurate conserve in a collision between the two ball bearings.

Materials
Slotted Plastic Ruler
2 steel ball bearing of equal size and mass
Table
Flat, smooth, hard surface

Procedure
1. 0DNH a shallow incline so that the top is propped on some solid surface and the
ORZHUVLGHGRZQ of the incline is right at the edge of the JLYHQtable.
2. )rom the top inclined ruler5ROOWKHEDOOGRZQ.
3. Measure the horizontal distance (d1) that the ball travels before it hits the floor. (33)
4. $JDLQRepeat the procedure ten times to obtain ten values of d1 and then calculate the
averagedistance.
5. 3UHSDUH WKH data table 1 of your observations and summarize your results.
6. Measure the vertical height (h1) of the table. 82cm
7. Measure the vertical height of the slotted rule (h2), height above table. 7.5cm
8. 3XW a target ball on the table so that when the first ball rolls down the incline, it collides
head on with the target ball. The target becomes the projectile. Measure (d2),the
distance from the table that the target ball strikes the floor. $JDLQRepeat this SURFHVVten
times and calculate the average distance.
9. 3XW this information in a Table 2.
Observations Table

Horizontal
Distance
5SJBMT Travelled
By ball
(d1)
(m)
Trial 1 0.33
Trial 2 0.30
Trial 3 0.35
Trial 4 0.36
Trial 5 0.34
Trial 6 0.35
Trial 7 0.33
Trial 8 0.34
Trial 9 0.35
Trial 0.33
10
Mean 0.34
(d1)
(m)

TKHheight of the 9HUWLFDOtable (h1) (m): 0.82 7KZheight of the YHUWLFDOslotted rule
(h2) (m): 0.08
2EVHUYDWLRQTable 
Horizontal
Distance
5SJBMT Travelled
By
Projectile
(d2)
(m)
Trial 1 0.23
Trial 2 0.20
Trial 3 0.19
Trial 4 0.24
Trial 5 0.25
Trial 6 0.24
Trial 7 0.23
Trial 8 0.22
Trial 9 0.23
Trial 0.20
10
 Mean 0.22
(d2)
(m)

Discussions

We can use the values we obtained from our experiment to calculate the horizontal velocity of the
ball just before it leaves the table. We will be using the mean values as to reduce errors and use
the average quantity from our findings.
Horizontal Distance (d1) = 0.34 m
Vertical height of the table (h1) = 0.82m
Initial Velocity (v1) = 0 m/s
Acceleration due to gravity (a) = 9.8m/s^2
Horizontal velocity (v2) = x
Using projectile equation, we can find the horizontal velocity but first we will have to find the
time taken.
ͳ
݀ͳ ൌ ‫ͳݒ‬ሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ ൅ ܽ‫ ݐ‬ଶ
ʹ
ͳ
ͲǤ͵Ͷ ൌ Ͳሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ ൅ ሺͻǤͺሻ‫ ݐ‬ଶ
ʹ

ʹሺͲǤ͵Ͷሻ
ඨ ൌ ‫ݐ‬
ͻǤͺ

‫ ݐ‬ൌ ͲǤʹ͸‫ݏ‬
Since the horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant, we can use the horizontal distance
(d1) to calculate the horizontal velocity (v2). This will be the horizontal velocity of the ball as it
leaves the table.
݀ͳ
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ
‫ݐ‬
ͲǤ͵Ͷ
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ
ͲǤʹ͸
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ ͳǤ͵݉Ȁ‫ݏ‬
Hence the horizontal velocity of the ball just before it leaves the table is 1.3 m/s.
We can find the gravitational potential energy of the ball at the top of the incline by using the
formula ܲǤ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉ ൈ ݃ ൈ ݄ Where m= mass, g= gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s^2) and h is the
vertical height of the slotted rule (h2) =0.08m. Using those values we can calculate the
gravitational potential energy of the ball at the top of the incline.
ܲǤ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉ ൈ ݃ ൈ ݄
ܲǤ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉ ൈ ͻǤͺ ൈ ͲǤͲͺ
ܲǤ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ͲǤ͹ͺ݉
Which gives us the total mechanical energy of the ball at the top of the incline to be =P.E + K.E
and since the velocity at the top is zero the total mechanical energy is equal = P.E which is
0.78m.
Meanwhile the kinetic energy of the ball just before it leaves the table can be calculated using the
ଵ
formula ‫ܭ‬Ǥ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ଶ ݉‫ ݒ‬ଶ . We can substitute the values we calculate to find the kinetic energy.
(v2)=1.30
ͳ
‫ܭ‬Ǥ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉‫ ݒ‬ଶ
ʹ
ͳ
‫ܭ‬Ǥ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉ሺͳǤ͵ሻଶ
ʹ
ͳ
‫ܭ‬Ǥ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ݉‫ ݒ‬ଶ
ʹ
‫ܭ‬Ǥ ‫ ܧ‬ൌ ͲǤͺͷ݉
The P.E energy at the bottom of the plane is zero as the height is equal to zero. Thus Making the
total mechanical energy at the bottom of the incline equal to = 0+ KE. Based on our values of
K.E and P.E at the bottom and top of the incline respectively we can see that the law of
conservation of mechanical energy is not being followed, as the sum of mechanical energy at the
top and bottom is different. Therefore, as the sum of the energies at the top and bottom are
different we can say that the mechanical energy is not being conserved. This is attributed to the
fact that it is not a perfect system meaning that, as the ball moves down the plane energy is lost to
overcome friction thus resulting in unequal sums of energy at the top and bottom.
We can use the values we obtained from our experiment to calculate the horizontal velocity of the
target ball just before it leaves the table. We will be using the mean values as to reduce errors and
use the average quantity from our findings.
Horizontal Distance (d2) = 0.22 m
Vertical height of the table (h1) = 0.82m
Initial Velocity (v1) = 0 m/s
Acceleration due to gravity (a) = 9.8m/s^2
Horizontal velocity (v2) = x
Using projectile equation, we can find the horizontal velocity but first we will have to find the
time taken.
ͳ
݀ͳ ൌ ‫ͳݒ‬ሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ ൅ ܽ‫ ݐ‬ଶ
ʹ
ͳ
ͲǤʹʹ ൌ Ͳሺ‫ݐ‬ሻ ൅ ሺͻǤͺሻ‫ ݐ‬ଶ
ʹ

ʹሺͲǤʹʹሻ
ඨ ൌ ‫ݐ‬
ͻǤͺ

‫ ݐ‬ൌ ͲǤʹͳ‫ݏ‬
Since the horizontal velocity of a projectile remains constant, we can use the horizontal distance
(d2) to calculate the horizontal velocity (v2). This will be the horizontal velocity of the target ball
as it leaves the table.
݀ʹ
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ
‫ݐ‬
ͲǤʹʹ
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ
ͲǤʹͳ
‫ ʹݒ‬ൌ ͳǤͲ݉Ȁ‫ݏ‬
Hence, the horizontal velocity of the target ball just before it leaves the table is 1.0 m/s.
Since we have the initial velocity and the masses of the objects before the collision along with the
final velocity of the objects after the collision, we can use this to compare the total momentum
before and after the collision and test whether the collision follows the law of conservation of
momentum. As the law of conservation of momentum states that, the total momentum of a system
before a collision is equal to the total momentum of the system after the collision.
்ܲ௢௧௔௟ூ௡௜௧௜௔௟ ൌ ்ܲ௢௧௔௟ி௜௡௔௟
As the masses are same this means that,
݉ଵ ‫ݒ‬ଵ ൅ ݉ଵ ‫ݒ‬ଶ ൌ ݉‫ݒ‬ଵ௙ ൅ ݉‫ݒ‬ଶ௙

Substituting in our values, we get,

݉ଵ ሺͳǤ͵ሻ ൅ ݉ଶ ሺͲሻ ൌ ݉ሺͲሻ ൅ ݉ሺͳǤͲሻ
 ݉ሺͳǤ͵ሻ ൌ ݉ሺͳǤͲሻ
As our results show us that, the total momentum just before the collision is not equal to the total
momentum after the collision. Thus, the law of conversation of momentum is not being followed,
this is because our system is not a perfect system as momentum is always conserved in all
collisions, may it be elastic or inelastic. The difference in the values could have arisen from the
discrepancies in the masses of the two objects, as they might not be equal or the presence of
friction between the ramp and the object. In addition, sources of human error could have also
contributed to the inequality, such as inaccurate measurement of distance, non-straight trajectory
of the projectile etc.

4. Discuss the laws of mechanical energy conservation and momentum conservation and
relate it to the various steps of this experiment.
The law of mechanical energy conservation states that the mechanical energy of an isolated
system remains constant without friction. This means that the sum of the initial kinetic and
potential energies is equal to the final kinetic and potential energies. We utilised this principle
earlier in our experiment to test whether mechanical energy was being conserved or not.
Meanwhile, the law of momentum conservation states that for a collision occurring between
object 1 and object 2 in an isolated system, the total momentum of the two objects before the
collision is equal to the total momentum of the two objects after the collision. That is, the
momentum lost by object 1 is equal to the momentum gained by object 2. We exercised this law
when we were comparing the momentum of the system before the collision and after the
collision. Which allowed us to determine to what degree the law of momentum conservation was
being followed.

Conclusion
The results show us that our experiment had many limitations, which inhibited us from our
desired results. As our system was not an isolated system, due to the presence of friction and
other forces but nevertheless, it supported the laws of conservation of momentum and energy to a
high degree and therefore holds true our hypothesis.
References

(n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/py105/Circular.html

Centripetal Force. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-

technology/physics/physics/centripetal-force-and-centrifugal-forceFraundorf, P. (n.d.).

Ring rotators and artificial gravity. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from
http://www.umsl.edu/~fraundorfp/nanowrld/newlive/spinning.html

Weightlessness. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2017, from

https://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/science/physics/weightlessness