The Impulse-Momentum Theorem
Overview
Today you are going to record the impacts of a ball bouncing on a force
plate. From your knowledge of freely falling bodies and energy
conservation, you will calculate the change in momentum from the time
between bounces. You will then collect impulse data as measured
from the integral of the force of the collision over time. In
principle, the calculated change in momentum will be close to the
measured impulse -- the impulse-momentum theorem.
There are two parts to this experiment. Part I concerns theory and Part
II, the experiment. Ideally, you have tried Part I before arriving in
lab so that you will have plenty of time to complete the
worksheet. If
not, start with Part II. Collect the data for Questions 3 and 4
on the worksheet, then return to Part I.
Today’s equipment and example data
Part I
Part II
Worksheet
Index