Although the principle of momentum conservation is a consequence of Newton's second and third laws of motion, as recognized by Newton himself,1 this principle is typically applied in analyzing collisions as if it is a separate concept of its own. This year I sought to integrate my treatment of collisions with my coverage of Newton's laws by asking students to calculate the effect on the motion of two particles due to the forces they exerted for a specified time interval on each other. For example, “A 50-kg crate slides across the ice at 3 m/s and collides with a 25-kg crate at rest. During the collision process the 50-kg crate exerts a 500 N time-averaged force on the 25 kg for 0.1 s. What are the accelerations of the crates during the collision, and what are their velocities after the collision? What are the momenta of the crates before and after collision?”
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February 2003
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February 01 2003
Analyzing Collisions in Terms of Newton's Laws
John L. Roeder
John L. Roeder
The Calhoun School, New York, NY
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Phys. Teach. 41, 97–99 (2003)
Citation
John L. Roeder; Analyzing Collisions in Terms of Newton's Laws. Phys. Teach. 1 February 2003; 41 (2): 97–99. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1542046
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