Water Balloon Lab
Purpose:
To investigate the effect of three variables (mass, collision time, velocity change) upon the impact force in a collision.
Description of Procedure:
Prior to class, several otherwise identical water balloons are filled with varying amounts water; a couple should be overfilled, a couple should be under filled, and the rest could be filled with a normal amount of water.
1) A water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) approximately 10 feet up into the air, caught and observed to not break. The same balloon is thrown 30-40 feet up into the air, and observed to break.
2) A not very massive (under filled) water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) about 20 feet up into the air, caught by the teacher and observed to not break. A very massive (overfilled) water balloon is thrown about the same distance up into the air, caught and observed to break.
3) A water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) approximately 50 feet up into the air, caught using a cradling motion, and observed not to break. The same water balloon is thrown about the same distance up into the air, allowed to hit the ground and observed to break. Students record their observations, identifying the independent variable (m, F, ∆t), the constant quantities, and the dependent variable for each demonstration.
Conclusion: To sum it all up, the smaller the balloon, the less likely is going to pop, although with a higher force, any balloon can pop. ∆Momentum and Impulse are the same thing, so basically when you try to slow down the balloon to not have the balloon break, the ∆momentum is very vital in not having the balloon break. Increasing the time of the ∆momentum is another important way to not have the balloon break, which essentially gives the balloon more time to slow down, and disperse of the force.
Purpose:
To investigate the effect of three variables (mass, collision time, velocity change) upon the impact force in a collision.
Description of Procedure:
Prior to class, several otherwise identical water balloons are filled with varying amounts water; a couple should be overfilled, a couple should be under filled, and the rest could be filled with a normal amount of water.
1) A water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) approximately 10 feet up into the air, caught and observed to not break. The same balloon is thrown 30-40 feet up into the air, and observed to break.
2) A not very massive (under filled) water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) about 20 feet up into the air, caught by the teacher and observed to not break. A very massive (overfilled) water balloon is thrown about the same distance up into the air, caught and observed to break.
3) A water balloon is thrown (or dropped from) approximately 50 feet up into the air, caught using a cradling motion, and observed not to break. The same water balloon is thrown about the same distance up into the air, allowed to hit the ground and observed to break. Students record their observations, identifying the independent variable (m, F, ∆t), the constant quantities, and the dependent variable for each demonstration.
Conclusion: To sum it all up, the smaller the balloon, the less likely is going to pop, although with a higher force, any balloon can pop. ∆Momentum and Impulse are the same thing, so basically when you try to slow down the balloon to not have the balloon break, the ∆momentum is very vital in not having the balloon break. Increasing the time of the ∆momentum is another important way to not have the balloon break, which essentially gives the balloon more time to slow down, and disperse of the force.