Conservation of Momentum and Energy of metal pucks

In summary, the speaker conducted an experiment involving the collision of two metal pucks and two magnetic pucks. The results showed that in the collision of the metal pucks, 75% of kinetic energy and 93% of momentum was conserved, while in the collision of the magnetic pucks, only 68% of kinetic energy and 71% of momentum was conserved. The speaker was unable to come up with an explanation for this difference, but suggests that a magnetic collision should actually conserve more energy and momentum because there is no loss to heat or sound. Another person suggests that the presence of electromagnetic fields and eddy currents could be contributing factors. The speaker also mentions that the experiment was conducted on an air table, which could
  • #1
3ephemeralwnd
27
0
I recently did an experiment in class that involved two parts,
1) the collision of 2 metal pucks
2) the collision of 2 magnetic pucks

following the analysis, i discovered that in part 1, 75% of the original kinetic energy, and 93% of the original momentum was conserved after the collision, but i part 2, only 68% of the original kinetic energy, and 71% of original momentum was conserved

i tried to think of an explanation as to why the magnetic pucks conserved less momentum and kinetic energy, but i coudln't come up with anything. I think that a magnetic collision should actually conserve MORE momentum and kinetic energy, because no energy is lost to heat and sound during the 'collision' because the two objects don't actually ever touch..

can anyone explain the results of my experiment?
 
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  • #2
Interesting result, I guess in the second case you can still get electromagnetic field to carry away energy and momentum but I doubt that can account for that much. A more likely contributor could be Eddy currents in conductors, were the puck conductive or moving over a conductive surface?
 
  • #3
Oh sorry, i forgot to mention that the experiment was conducted on an air table
 
  • #4
Was air table surface metal or plastic? Magnets moving over metals tend to induce electric currents and experience additional "drag", which can carry away both energy and momentum.

Edit: I should learn to read. Though, the question is still unanswered.
 
  • #5
Were the magnetic pucks attractive or repulsive towards each other?

It would add useful information to your experiment if you repeated it with pucks that did the opposite.

Did you observe the action of the magnetic pucks as they approached?
Was there any rotation created?
 
  • #6
If they're both magnetic, isn't there an amount of potential energy to consider?
 

1. What is conservation of momentum and energy?

Conservation of momentum and energy is a fundamental law in physics that states that the total amount of momentum and energy in a closed system remains constant over time. This means that the total momentum and energy before a collision or interaction must equal the total momentum and energy after the collision or interaction.

2. How does conservation of momentum and energy apply to metal pucks?

In the case of metal pucks, conservation of momentum and energy means that the total momentum and energy of the pucks before they collide must equal the total momentum and energy after the collision. This means that if one puck has a certain amount of momentum and energy before the collision, the other puck must have an equal amount of momentum and energy after the collision.

3. What factors affect the conservation of momentum and energy in metal pucks?

Factors that can affect the conservation of momentum and energy in metal pucks include the mass and velocity of the pucks, the angle and direction of the collision, and any external forces acting on the pucks during the collision.

4. How does the law of conservation of momentum and energy impact real-life situations involving metal pucks?

The law of conservation of momentum and energy is a fundamental principle in physics and plays a crucial role in understanding and predicting the behavior of objects in real-life situations involving metal pucks. It helps us analyze the movement and interactions of pucks in sports like hockey and billiards, as well as in industrial processes such as metal stamping and welding.

5. Can conservation of momentum and energy be violated?

No, conservation of momentum and energy is a fundamental law of physics and has been proven to hold true in countless experiments and observations. While it may seem like momentum and energy can be lost or gained in certain situations, this is only due to external factors that are not included in the closed system being considered.

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