Impulse-Momentum

Scott Mayle, December 2011


 * Impulse-momentum lesson with demo.**

Consider making this more interesting/engaging using materials from ActivPhysics

Assignment before class: students read on the impulse momentum theorem.

[|Impulse-Momentum1.pdf] (assigned reading + practice problems + pre/post-test questions)

In-class:

Part 1.

Demo: we allowed students to throw an egg at a sheet and observe that no matter how hard the egg was thrown it would not break. Then I dropped the egg in a bucket on the flow and we all watched the egg splatter.

Part 2.

As a class, discussed differences between the sheet and the bucket. Asked students to relate the concepts they came up with to the formula that the impulse momentum theorem involves.

Part 3.

Once the relationship between more time and less force was solidified, we then moved on to some problems. First, problems done as a class, then problems done individually.

[|Impulse-Momentum2.pdf] (practice problems)

Part 4.

Class discussion: students explain to the teacher what they had done to solve the problem (students who had not progressed as far catch up at this point).