Experiment

Phy 201

Steel Ball, Marble, and Ramp Collision ExperimentPurpose:

The purpose of this lab is to determine if the extra millimeter added by the metal strap will affect the kinetic energy after the collision. Procedure:

Set up a ramp system so that a ball will roll from the starting position, down the ramp onto another ramp and off the edge of the lab table. Place paper on the floor to record projectile range and place carbon paper in the vicinity of the fall. Roll the steel ball down the ramp and off the table to record the range of the steel ball alone. Place a marble carefully on a straw so that the centers of the two balls will be in a horizontal plane. Roll the steel ball down the ramp and allow collision with the marble. Record the range of the steel ball and the marble as they hit the floor. Now raise the ramp system a millimeter by placing a metal strap under the ramps and repeat. If the centers of the two balls were in a horizontal plane before, this will no longer be the case. The goal is to determine if the difference due to the extra millimeter is detectable.Data:

Ramp (no strap)

33.1 cm undeflected steel ball

30.0 cm deflected steel ball

59.6 cm target ball

Vave steel ball before collision = ’ds/’dt = 33.1cm/.43s = 76.98 cm/s

Vave steel ball after collision = 30.0cm/.43s = 69.78 cm/s

Vave marble before collision = 0

You did the velocity calculations correctly.

We also need the velocity of the marble after collision.

Were these results for the first setup, before the ramp was raised, or for the second?

In any case, go ahead and show your results for both setups and see if there is a significant difference in your results.