CENTRE HIGH: PHYSICS 30

UNIT 1: CONSERVATION LAWS

Lesson 11: Conservation Laws (E and p)

Recommended Reading
Heath pp. 315 - 328

Careful: This reading is quite challenging.

G. CONSERVATION LAWS
- we will now consider situations where both conservation laws will be used 1. Conservation of mechanical energy

2. Conservation of momentum

G1. Elastic Collisions - these are special types of collisions

Elastic Collision

G1. Elastic Collisions - these are special types of collisions

Elastic Collision

Momentum is conserved pT = pT'

G1. Elastic Collisions - these are special types of collisions

Elastic Collision

Mechanical energy is conserved METi = METf - no loss of energy due to heat and sound

Momentum is conserved pT = pT'

Most collisions between objects are NOT elastic

To understand why, consider when two cars collide:

When two cars collide:

Energy lost as heat / sound

Since energy is lost due to heat and sound, mechanical energy is not conserved. So, it is not an elastic collision.

When two objects stick together, the collision is called inelastic

Consider two trains colliding, each having equal masses and equal speeds: M v v M

When two trains collide (equal speeds, equal masses):

M v v M

All energy lost as heat / sound

These trains will stick together and immediately come to rest. All of the mechanical energy is lost.

Conclusion: When two objects stick together, it can never be

an elastic collision.
Elastic objects must bounce off of each other. If they stick together, energy must be lost as heat / sound.

Examples of Elastic Collisions

If most collisions between objects are not elastic, are there any examples of elastic collisions? What would elastic collisions look like?

Elastic Collision 1: Perfect "superball"

Consider a ball that is dropped from a height, and it lands with a speed v :

Ground

If the ball (and ground) was perfectly elastic, - it would rebound with the same speed - it would return to the same height

Ground
v

Elastic Collision 2: Newton's Cradle

Animation: http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph11e/ncradle.htm When one ball comes down, why must only one ball come back up? Why can't two balls come up, each with half the momentum? To satisfy both the laws of conservation of momentum and mechanical energy, only one ball must come up.

Elastic Collision 3: All atomic collisions (Classical theory)

- at the atomic level, heat and sound do not exist - heat and sound are the vibration of atoms, which is kinetic energy Thus, in an atomic collision, energy cannot be lost as heat / sound. Mechanical energy is conserved

Ex. 1
50 J 20 kgm/s 147 J 42 kgm/s Boom! 162 J 36 kgm/s KE? p?

If this collision is elastic, then find KE and p.

50 J 20 kgm/s

147 J 42 kgm/s
Boom!

162 J 36 kgm/s

KE? p?

If elastic, it satisfies both conservation laws. Cons of p: pT = pT' p1 + p2 = p1' + p2' (20) + (-42) = (-36) + p p = 14 kgm/s (right) Ref: Right is +

50 J 20 kgm/s

147 J 42 kgm/s
Boom!

162 J 36 kgm/s

KE? p?

Cons of ME:

METi = METf KE1i + KE2i = KE1f + KE2f 50 J + 147 J = 162 J + KE KE = 35 J

Ex. 2
v 20 m/s Boom! 33 m/s 14 m/s

0.57 kg

0.41 kg

a) The speed v is ________ m/s. Your 2-digit answer is b) Is this collision elastic? Show by calculation.

v
0.41 kg a)

20 m/s
Boom! 0.57 kg pT = pT' p1 + p2 = p1' + p2'

13 m/s

14 m/s

Ref: Right is positive

m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1' + m2v2' (0.41) v + (0.57) (-20) = (0.41) (-13) + (0.57) (+14) v = NR: 3 4 34 m/s right

b)

METi = KE1i + KE2i = 0.5 mv12 + 0.5 mv22 = 240.76 J + 114 J = 354.76 J
METf = KE1f + KE2f = 0.5 mv12 + 0.5 mv22 = 34.65 J + 55.86 J = 90.51 J Since METi = METf , this is NOT an elastic collision 2.6 x 102 J was lost as heat / sound.

Practice Problems
Try Ladner p. 60 #27, 28

G2. Choosing Which Law to Use

When do you use: - conservation of mechanical energy? - conservation of momentum? - both conservation laws?

1. Conservation of Mechanical Energy - use when there is no loss of energy due to heat / sound - no friction or air resistance - only mechanical forms of energy can change
2. Conservation of Momentum - use for collisions and explosions - Fnet = 0 on the system (the objects have a constant velocity before and after the collision / explosion) 3. Both conservation laws - use for elastic collisions

Ex. 3 For each situation below, decide which law(s) to use I. Cons of ME II. Cons of p III. Both
a) A rocket launch b) An electron hitting a mercury atom

c) The maximum speed of a kid on a playground swing

a) A rocket launch
Since this is an explosion, momentum is conserved.

Rocket

i.e. The rocket exerts a downward impulse on the fuel. The fuel exerts an equal but upward impulse on the rocket

Fuel

a) A rocket launch

Heat lost

However, since there is a lot of mechanical energy lost as heat and sound, ME is not conserved

b) Collision between an electron and a mercury atom

ev ev

Since all atomic collisions are elastic, - momentum is conserved - mechanical energy is conserved

c) Max speed of a child on a playground swing

Since it is not a collision or explosion, momentum is not conserved

Why? Fnet 0 on the system Thus, the system accelerates.

c) Max speed of a child on a playground swing

PEg There is no friction / air resistance. All of the PEg at the top of the swing converts to KE as it reaches the bottom of the swing So, mechanical energy is conserved

KEmax

Ex. 4 Ballistic Pendulum

Bullet 350 m/s 70 g 16.0 kg

Block of wood
If the bullet embeds into the block (and stays in the block), find the maximum height the pendulum (and bullet) will swing to.

Stage 1: Collision between bullet and block (Cons of p)

350 m/s STICK! 0.70 kg 16 kg 16.70 kg v?

Before collision

After collision

Ref: Right is positive

Rest 350 m/s STICK! 0.70 kg pT = pT' 16 kg 16.70 kg v?

p1 + p2 = p'
m1v1 + 0 = mT v (0.70) (350) = 16.70 v v = 1.525 m/s right

Stage 2: Swing of pendulum (Cons of ME)

Rest h Ref h 1.52 m/s At the start of the swing, it has only KE When it reaches its maximum height, it comes to rest So, all of the KE has converted to PEg

Rest h METi = METf PEgi + KEi = PEgf + KEf 0.5 mvi2 = mghf Ref h 1.52 m/s

METi = METf
PEgi + KEi = PEgf + KEf 0.5 mvi2 = mghf

0.5 vi2 = g hf
hf = 0.5 vi2

g
hf = 0.5 (1.525 m/s)2 9.81 m/s2 = 0.12 m

Practice Problems
Try Ladner p. 61 #32

For more questions that combine momentum and energy: Ladner pp. 54 - 61 #5, 12, 13, 19, 20