Lesson 1 of 12 · Momentum

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

Momentum: Mass in Motion

🧪Lab Brief #1

Momentum: Mass in Motion.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

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Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

What You'll Learn

Momentum is mass times velocity, measured in kilogram metres per second, and it is a vector. A 40-tonne lorry at 2 m/s carries far more momentum than a 1-tonne car at 20 m/s, which is why it takes so much longer to stop.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

dynamics trolleys
slotted masses
foam blocks
stopwatch
metre rule

Safety First

Keep hands clear of the collision zone and stop trolleys before the bench edge.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Roll trolleys of different mass at measured speeds into a stack of foam blocks and record how far the stack is pushed. Plot displacement of the stack against calculated momentum.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

A 1,200 kg car travels at 15 m/s. Its momentum is:

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

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For the dinner table

“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Next Smart Experiment

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