Practical skills assessed in a written examination

Hard
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Question 8
Hard

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 diagram showing a track with a horizontal central section and inclined sections at both ends. On the left incline, a glider labeled M is at a vertical height H above the horizontal level. A second glider labeled m rests on the horizontal section. On the right, after collision, the coupled gliders (labeled M and m connected together) are shown moving up the right incline to a maximum vertical height h. 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.

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Practical skills assessed in a written examination Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Physics
  3. /Practical skills assessed in a written examination