Newton's laws and momentum

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Question 4
Medium

Students investigate the conservation of linear momentum using two gliders on a horizontal air track.

A card of known length is attached to each glider to trigger the light gates.

The apparatus is set up as shown in the diagram under gravity-free horizontal conditions (using an air blower to minimize friction):

A diagram showing a horizontal linear air track connected to an air blower. Glider X has a light-gate-interrupting card of length d\, on top and is positioned on the left. Glider Y, also with a card, is stationary in the middle of the track. Light Gate 1 is positioned to detect the passage of Glider X before the collision. Light Gate 2 is positioned downstream to detect the passage of the combined gliders after the collision. The gliders have Velcro pads on their colliding ends so they stick together upon impact.

Describe an investigation the students could carry out to show that momentum is conserved when Glider X collides with and sticks to stationary Glider Y.

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Newton's laws and momentum Questions

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