What This Document Is
This is a fifth mandatory, typed-out lab assignment for Physics I (PHY 2091) at Kean University, dated October 17, 2017. The lab focuses on experimentally verifying the principle of conservation of momentum through collision experiments in one dimension. It explores both elastic and inelastic collisions using gliders on an air track.
Why This Document Matters
This assignment is required for students enrolled in PHY 2091. It’s designed to be completed during a lab session and likely contributes significantly to the overall course grade. Students will use this lab to apply theoretical physics concepts to a practical, hands-on experiment.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document is a lab *report* – it presents the experiment's objectives, procedure, collected data, and initial analysis. It does not provide foundational physics instruction on momentum or collisions. Students are expected to already understand these concepts.
What This Document Provides
The full document includes: a stated objective for the experiment, a detailed procedure for two parts of the collision experiment (one with glazing compound, one with magnets), sample data collected during the experiment (masses, times, velocities), a partial analysis of the data including momentum and kinetic energy calculations and percent differences, and a conclusion/results section. This preview *does not* include the complete analysis, the full conclusion, or any detailed explanations of the underlying physics principles.
