Class 22 10/28/2011 (Fri)

Conservation of Linear Momentum

in Collisions involved in Isolated
Systems

Recall that linear momentum is conserved in

Collisions isolated systems. Almost all collisions we
encounter in this course are isolated. So, we
can almost always assume that the total
linear momentum is conserved.
Mathematically,

m1v1,i + m2v2,i + … = m1v1,f + m2v2,f + …

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Four Kinds of Collisions A ballistic pendulum

A ballistic pendulum is a device used to measure the speed
However, the kinetic energy is not necessarily
conserved. There are four possible cases. of a bullet. A bullet of mass m = 50g is fired at a block of
wood (mass M = 750 g) hanging from a string. The bullet
DEFINITIONS Elastic collision embeds itself in the block, and causes the combined block
Elastic collision -- One in which the total plus bullet system to swing up a height h = 0.45 m. What is
kinetic energy of the system (K) is the same v0, the speed of the bullet before it hits the block? (Ans. v0 =
before and after the collision. 48 m/s) How much mechanical energy is lost? (Ans. 93.7%)
Super elastic collision – One in which K after Simulation of the ballistic pendulum
Inelastic collision
the collision is bigger than that before.
Inelastic collision -- One in which K after the
collision is less than that before. m+M
m M
Completely inelastic collision – one where h
the objects stick together after colliding. Completely inelastic
v0 vf
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collision

A ballistic pendulum A ballistic pendulum

(a) What is v0, the speed of the bullet before it hits the block? (b) How much mechanical energy is lost?
We will work backward. Apply the conservation of mechanical There is no change in gravitational potential energy in the
energy to the block-bullet system between right after the collision. So, the change in mechanical energy is just ΔK:
collision and the system’s swinging up 0.45m from the point of
collision: Ki = ½ mv02 = ½ (50/1000 kg)(48 m/s)2 = 57.6 J
½(m+M)v2 = (m+M)gh Kf = ½ (m+M)v2 = ½ ((50+750)/1000 kg)(3 m/s)2 = 3.6 J
⇒ v = (2gh)1/2 = (2 x 10m/s2 x 0.45m)1/2 =
3 m/s Loss in mechanical energy
Next, apply conservation of linear momentum to the velocities = Loss in K
just before and just after the collision: = 57.6 J – 3.6 J
= 54 J
mv0 +0 = (m+M)v
⇒ v0 = (m+M)v/m = (750g+50g)(3m/s)/(50g) =
48 m/s 5 6

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 An example of Elastic Collision An example of Elastic Collision
Ball 1 with mass 2m and velocity +1 m/s collides with Ball
2, with mass m, traveling with velocity -1 m/s. Find the
final velocities of the two balls if the collision is elastic.

+5/3 m/s or -1 m/s

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7 -1/3 m/s or +1 m/s 8

Two pendulums Two pendulums: Speed of ball A,

Two balls hang from strings of the same length. Ball A, with before
a mass of 4 kg, is swung back to a point 0.8 m above its
equilibrium position. Ball A is released from rest and swings (a) How fast is ball A going, just before the collision? Use g
down and hits ball B. After the collision, ball A rebounds to a = 10 m/s2.
height of 0.2 m above its equilibrium position, and ball B Solution:
swings up to a height of 0.05 m.
Apply energy conservation.
(a) How fast is ball A going just before the Ui + K i + Wnc = Uf + K f
collision? Use g = 10 m/s2. 4kg
Ui = K f
(b) Find the mass of ball B.
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(c) What kind of collision is this? mgh = mv 2
2
hA,f = 0.2m v = 2gh = 16 m2 / s2 = 4.0 m/s
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hB,f = 0.05m 10

Two pendulums: Speed of the balls, Two pendulums: Find the mass of
after the collision ball B
(b) Find the mass of ball B. Apply momentum conservation.
First, find the velocities of the balls after the collision. One mAv Ai + mBv Bi = mAv Af + mBv Bf
can use the same equation for the situation just after the
collision. mAv Ai + 0 = mAv Af + mBv Bf

For ball A afterwards: How do we account for the fact that momentum is a vector?
Choose a positive direction (say, to the right), so the
v = 2gh = 4.0 m2 / s2 = 2.0 m/s (h = 0.2 m)
velocity of ball A after the collision is negative.

For ball B afterwards: mAv Ai − mAv Af (4 kg) × ( +4 m/s) − (4 kg) × ( − 2 m/s)

mB = =
v Bf +1 m/s
v = 2gh = 1.0 m2 / s2 = 1.0 m/s (h = 0.05 m)
11 mB = 16 kg + 8 kg = 24 kg 12

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 Two pendulums: What kind of Collisions in two dimensions
collision?
The Law of Conservation of Momentum applies in two and
(c) What kind of collisions? three dimensions, too. To apply it in 2-D, split the
Ki before the collision = ½ (4kg)(4 m/s)2 = 32 J momentum into x and y components and keep them
separate. Write out two conservation of momentum
Kf after the collision equations, one for the x direction and one for the y direction.
= ½ (4kg)(2 m/s)2 + ½ (24kg)(1 m/s)2
That is,
= 8 J + 12 J = 20 J
m1v1,ix + m2v2,ix + … = m1v1,fx + m2v2,fx + …
Kf / Ki = 5/8
m1v1,iy + m2v2,iy + … = m1v1,fy + m2v2,fy + …
This is less than 1 so the collision is inelastic. It is not
completely inelastic because the two balls do not stick
together after the collision.
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Collisions in 2D – Example1 Collisions in 2D – Example1

A billiard ball with initial speed 5 m/s collides with another billiard Denote the x and y component of the velocity of the second ball after the collision
by vx and vy, respectively.
ball with identical mass that’s initially at rest. After the collision,
the first ball bounces off with speed (3)1/2 m/s in a direction that
makes an angle +30o with the original direction. The second ball
bounces in a direction that makes an angle θ2 on the other side of
the first ball’s original direction (see figure). Neglect friction. Use
the x-y coordinate system shown. (a) What’re the y- and x-
components of ball 2’s velocity after collision? (b) What’s the
value of θ2? (Ans. v2f,y = -(3)1/2/2 m/s, v2f,x = +0.5 m/s, θ2 = 60o.)

y Before After v1f = (3)1/2 m/s

v1i = 5 m/s
x v2i = 0 m/s

θ2
Center of mass 15 16
2

Collisions in 2D – Example2
Collisions in 2D – Example2 Solution P2i
A car driving due north at 25 m/s collides with another car Magnitude of P1i = m1v1i = m1(25 m/s)
driving due west at 20 m/s. Suppose the two car stick Magnitude of P2i = m2v2i = (5/4)m1(20 m/s) P1i
Ptot,i
together after the collision and the second car has a mass = m1(25 m/s)
So, P1i = P2i
that’s 125% that of the second car. Find the velocity of the
two cars immediately after the collision. From the vector diagram,
The magnitude of Ptot,i = (2)1/2 P1i = (2)1/2 m1(25 m/s) … (1)

P2i
After the collision, Ptot,f = mtotvf = (m1+m2)vf = (9/4m1)vf … (2)

Since Ptot,f = Ptot,i, by (1) and (2) we have

P1i
Ptot,i (2)1/2m1(25 m/s) = (9/4m1)vf ⇒ vf = 140/9 m/s ≈ 15.6 m/s

For the direction of vf, use the fact that it’s in the same direction as Ptot,f, which in
turn is the same as that of Ptot,i. From the vector diagram, it’s obviously N45oW.
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