Verification of the Linear Momentum Conservation Law Using Linear Air Track

Abstract

The progress of physics is based on facts and experimental data.
Therefore, it is very important to prove or verify some theories
experimentally. One of fundamental laws of physics is momentum
conservation law. It has been used extensively in many mechanical
problems involving collisions. However, the use of this law is usually
taken for granted and rarely been demonstrated experimentally due to
technical difficulties in determining the instantaneous velocities of the
objects before and after the collision takes place. These difficulties can be
solved by using Linear Air Track to prove the conservation law of
momentum by colliding two vehicles on the track, because Linear Air
Track can provide linear and stable motion with negligible friction force
between vehicles and its track. By using photographic technique, the
image can be quantified and analyzed to obtain the instantaneous
velocities the object before and after collision. As a temporary hypothesis
Linear Air Track can be use to verify the linear momentum conservation
law on any collision between two objects. Due to considerably high
degree of measurement uncertainties involved in the experiment, the
hypothesis will be accepted if the comparative ration between the final
and initial total momentum of the system is up or equal to 90%. The result
from this experiment shows that the percentages of accuracy are up to
90%. Then, we may conclude that Linear Air Track can be used to verify
the linear momentum conservation law on any collision between two
objects.

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