Momentum and Such

Today we learned about so many things starting with momentum. This is inertia in motion. Momentum is represented by the letter P with an arrow over it shows that is'a vector with direction. It is measured in the units kg•m/s and equals mass (m) times velocity (v with a vector arrow). P=mv Something very important to remember is that moments is always conserved and also that the Vegas Rule applies here as well. Pin=Pout. So the momentum put into the object is equal to the momentum received.
Total momentum is equal to all momentum added together. Force is equal to the change in momentum (delta p) over the change in time (delta t). Impulse is the average force upon an object multiplied by the time the force is acting on the object. Its equal to the change in momentum!
We also went over how force and time have an inverse relationship! So if the force is low, the time it takes to change momentum is high, but if the time is low, the force exerted on the object is very high!

Another thing we learned with momentum was collisions and the relationship between impulse and momentum, which equal each other. In our lab today we used the air tracks to eliminate friction from our equation. We tested the collision of objects of different weights and speeds and which direction they collided. They all have the same momentum but different velocities. When in collision, the force is transferred from one car to the other causing the carts to move and either increase speed, decrease speed and even come to a stop. The beginning parts we looked at elastic collisions using the rubberbands on the ends of the carts, but when testing inelastic or "sticky" collisions we used clay that stuck the two carts together causing them to travel as one mass and with one velocity. :]