Physlet Physics by Christian and Belloni: Problem 8.2

8.1: Force and Impulse
8.2: The Difference between Impulse and Work
8.3: Hard and Soft Collisions and the Third Law
8.4: Relative Velocity and Collisions
8.5: Zero-Momentum Frame
8.6: Microscopic View of a Collision
8.7: Center of Mass
8.8: Moving Objects and Center of Mass

Problem 8.2: Determine Δp for two collisions

Please wait for the animation to completely load.

A flower pot and a basketball collide with a table (position is given in meters and time is given in seconds). Each has exactly the same mass. Restart.

Which object undergoes the greater change in momentum after colliding with the floor?
Which object undergoes the greater change in kinetic energy after colliding with the floor?
Is the force of the floor on the flower pot greater or less than the force of the floor on the basketball?

Physlets were developed at Davidson College and converted from Java to JavaScript using the SwingJS system developed at St. Olaf College.

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