Exploration 8.6: An Explosive Collision

set value and play: position set value and play: velocity set value and play: momentum set value and play: acceleration set value and play: KE

The mass of the right cart is 0.2 kg and the mass of left cart: kg.

Please wait for the animation to completely load.

The system's total kinetic energy is increased in a 1200-J explosion in the animation (position is given in meters and time is given in seconds).   Restart. 

Use a mass ratio of 1:2 for the following questions.

  1. Draw energy diagrams for the system before and after the explosion.

  2. What percentage of the explosion's energy is converted to kinetic energy?

  3. What percentage of the explosion's energy is usable as kinetic energy?

  4. Is the process shown in the animation reversible?

Vary the mass of the left cart from 0.1 kg to 1.0 kg for the following questions.

  1. Does the larger or the smaller mass receive the most energy?

  2. Does the larger or the smaller mass receive the most momentum?

  3. Does the ratio of the two masses have any effect on the total resulting kinetic energy?

  4. Does the ratio of the two masses have any effect on the recoverable energy?

 

 

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