A student designs an experiment using a track with a horizontal flat section in the middle and inclined sections at both ends to test conservation of momentum during collisions.
A glider of mass MMM is released from rest on the left incline at a vertical height HHH above the horizontal section. It slides down and collides with a stationary glider of mass mmm resting on the horizontal section. The two gliders couple together on impact and slide up the right incline, reaching a maximum vertical height hhh above the horizontal section. Friction along the track may be assumed to be negligible. The relationship between the initial height HHH and final height hhh is given by: h=(MM+m)2Hh = \left(\frac{M}{M+m}\right)^2 Hh=(M+mM)2H
Describe how to perform an experiment to test the validity of this equation and how the data can be analysed.