What Happens to the Missing Energy in an Inelastic Collision?

In summary: waves cause some loss of energy, but in this case it doesnt really matter because the final potential energy is the same
  • #1
leykis101
4
0
i did a lab, the ballistic pendulum, and need help with one of the questions in the lab. here it is:
The initial kinetic energy of the projectile is (mv^2/2). The final potential energy of the system is (M+m)gh. However these two values are not equal in this experiment. Explain what happened to the missing energy and why it doesn't really affect the results.
m=the mass of the ball
M=the mass of the pendulum
any help? thanks
 
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  • #2
What do you think? Hint: What kind of collision does the projectile undergo?
 
  • #3
if i had to take an educated guess i would have to say that energy is lost to heat when the ball is embedded into the pendulum. because of this the energy at the top is less than the energy at the bottom. I am not sure if this is correct though.
 
  • #4
Completely correct! The ball and pendulum undergo an inelastic collision, which transforms some of the ball's original KE into thermal energy.

OK, so why doesn't this "loss" of energy affect your results?
 
  • #5
leykis101 said:
if i had to take an educated guess i would have to say that energy is lost to heat when the ball is embedded into the pendulum. because of this the energy at the top is less than the energy at the bottom. I am not sure if this is correct though.
Indeed, that is correct. So that would make this collision an ######### collision. You could also perhaps mention air resistance, although it is most probably negligable. So why wouldn't this loss of energy affect your experiment?

Edit: The Doc strikes again...
 
  • #6
the energy conservation formula refer in ideal
why you test many times?... because there are manythings in reality
such as force againts the wind or rusty of metal

Doc Al said:
Completely correct! The ball and pendulum undergo an inelastic collision, which transforms some of the ball's original KE into thermal energy.

OK, so why doesn't this "loss" of energy affect your results?

yes :!) maybe sound and heat
 
Last edited:

1. What is a ballistic pendulum?

A ballistic pendulum is a physics experiment used to measure the velocity of a projectile by analyzing its collision with a pendulum.

2. How does a ballistic pendulum work?

The ballistic pendulum works by launching a projectile into a pendulum target, causing the pendulum to swing. The angle of the pendulum swing can then be used to calculate the velocity of the projectile.

3. What are the major components of a ballistic pendulum?

The major components of a ballistic pendulum include a pendulum target, a projectile launcher, a measuring scale, and a trigger mechanism.

4. What is the equation used to calculate the velocity of a projectile using a ballistic pendulum?

The equation used to calculate the velocity of a projectile using a ballistic pendulum is v = (m1 + m2) / m2 * √(2gh), where m1 is the mass of the projectile, m2 is the mass of the pendulum, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the height of the pendulum swing.

5. What are some applications of the ballistic pendulum?

The ballistic pendulum has several applications, including measuring the velocity of projectiles, determining the effectiveness of firearms, and studying the conservation of momentum in collisions. It is also used in forensic investigations and ballistics testing.

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