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Caps1394
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Homework Statement
We are doing a lab in my physics class. We have to calculate the percentage of Kinetic energy lost in an inelastic collision. I believe that I have the right answer but it seems a little high (44%) the one marble is rolling down a flat track and hits a stationary ball at the the end and we let the balls collide and fall off onto carbon paper allowing us to have the distances that it fell.
Homework Equations
Kinematic Equation.
M1Vi1=M1V1+M2V2
Ke=.5MV^2
The Attempt at a Solution
We used the distances from where the balls landed and the end of the track and used kinematics to calculated the initial velocitys. Which in turn would be the Velocities after the collision. Then I used the M1Vi1=M1V1+M2V2 Having the masses cancel each other out (since the marbles are identicle) and finding the Intial Velocity of the First marble. Then I took that velocity and found out how much kinetic energy it had right before the collision. Then I used the Velocities after the collision, plugged them into the kinetic energy equation and added those 2 up. Now that I have the Ke initial and Ke final I subtracted them and found out how much was lost. Taking the amount lost over the intial amount of kinetic energy. Getting what I assume is the % of kinetic energy lost.
Im not sure if this is right or if I am doing a step wrong any help would be appreciated.