Is momentum conserved in a collision, along with energy, or are they opposing forces? Pupils vary the mass and velocity of two bumper cars along with the type of bumper in order to answer this question. Worksheet and in-simulator questions serve as an assessment.

Concepts

collision theory, energy, momentum, conservation of momentum

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Debate which type of bumper would be best in a real-world collision

Classroom Considerations

• Teachers need a free CK-12 account to access the interactive
• Assumes prior knowledge of mass, velocity, momentum, and kinetic energy

Pros

• Displays graphs of momentum and kinetic energy both before and after the collision
• Includes intuitive controls

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.4 RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4