Lesson 12 of 12 · Momentum
Experiment⭐ 30 XPInterpreting a Real Force-Time Trace
Interpreting a Real Force-Time Trace.
🎯 Your mission
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
A force sensor recording an impact produces a spiked curve. The area under that curve is the impulse and therefore the momentum change, while the peak height is what determines whether something breaks. Two impacts can share an area but differ hugely in peak.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- force sensor or phone with accelerometer app
- ball
- hard board
- carpet tile
- foam
Safety First
- Protect the sensor from direct hard impact with a thin pad.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Record impacts of the same ball dropped from the same height onto three surfaces with a force sensor or a phone accelerometer app. Compare peak force and estimate the area under each trace.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2The area under a force-time graph gives the:
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
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Interpreting a Real Force-Time Trace
Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.
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