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Soccer Momentum


     This past snow day, the class was tasked with finding scenarios where conservation of momentum occurred and to show the kinetic energy that was lost. Stumped at first about what I could do to show conservation of momentum, I finally decided to do a collision of two objects with one being at rest. The two objects I chose were soccer balls.  Both of the soccer balls weighed .435 kg. The initial velocity of the first soccer ball was 2.08 m/s.
X-Velocity 















       The second soccer ball weighed the same as the first. After being hit with the first soccer ball the final velocity for the second soccer ball was 1.38 m/s.
X-Velocity 















Equations: 

P=mv=(.435)(2.08)= .904 kg m/s --> First soccer ball 
P=mv=(.435)(1.38)= .625 kg m/s --> Second soccer ball 

First soccer ball: 1/2(.435)(2.08)^2=1/2(.435)(0)^2 --> .941 J lost 
Second soccer ball: 1/2(.435)(0)^2=1/2(.435)(1.38)^2 --> .431 J gained  


     Although the data shows that there is not a conservation of momentum I think this comes about do to human error while inputting data into Logger Pro. The uneven surface may have also lent a hand in this as well and the fact that the two soccer balls did not hit straight on but the angle was too small to calculate. I think that this does show conservation of momentum if the numbers and data could be perfect without human error. 

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