Momentum film

Question:

We are doing a film dealing with momentum and we need some things to show what momentum is in the video, I am looking for some experiments or examples that we may be able to add to our video, to inform the class about momentum.

Answer:

Momentum
Examples
When you throw a javelin or a ball you should start with your arm well behind you.
When you jump onto a concrete floor it hurts more than jumping into a sand pit.
When you catch a cricket ball or a baseball you should let your hands give.
Playing cricket with an iron cricket bat would be very painful.
You can't jump at all without bending your knees first.
When you hit a ball you should "follow through" with your stroke
Seat belts in car slow you down slowly – reducing your momentum slowly
Loss of momentum quickly in a car crash
Momentum conservation in rockets
Momentum given to a bullet in a gun – the longer the barrel the more momentum the projectile will gain (Force acting for a longer time)
Large ships take a long time to stop since they have a large momentum


Experiments (this list is taken from the New Resourceful Physics Teacher book – there are over 700 different ideas there covering a wide range of Physics. It is available through the home page of this site.)
1. Elastic collisions - between two magnets
2. Newton's cradle – colliding ball bearings
3. Snooker and Newton's cradle – collisions between snooker of billiard balls
4. Momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions
5. Momentum and snooker/football game
6. Two power balls - dropped on top of each other – small one bounces really high
7. Smacking hands – it hurts both hands
8. Kicking a football – follow through
9. Momentum with suspended ball -
10. The air rifle and momentum – firing a pellet into plasticene
11. Toy gun on linear air track – fire a ball at a truck on the linear air track
12. Stopping an escalator – it hurts if you land on a stationary stair that you expected to be moving
13. Pendulum on a trolley - momentum conservation -
14. Sand falling onto a top pan balance
15. Crumpling zones in cars
16. Collisions
17. Helicopter details – momentum of the air stream
18. Momentum in catching
19. Collisions with marbles
20. Throwing and jumping - momentum/inertia
21. Force in a long jump take off or when a ball bounces
22. Momentum and the rotating table
23. Helium filled balloon in an accelerating car (A REALLY GOOD ONE TO TRY). Tie it to the floor and watch it move as the car accelerates or corners