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A zero cost experiment on the ‘impulse-momentum theorem’

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2017 Phys. Educ. 52 013002

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 Frontline
Phys. Educ. 52 (2017) 013002 (4pp) iopscience.org/ped

A zero cost experiment on the

‘impulse-momentum theorem’
Salvatore Ganci and Daniele Lagomarsino Oneto
Studio di Catalogazione e Conservazione Strumenti Scientifici, 16030 Casarza Ligure, Italy

E-mail: museodellascienza.s.ganci@gmail.com

Abstract
Impulse-momentum theorem is a basic matter of the mechanics. A zero cost
experiment can be used in the classroom, without any apparatus, in order to
verify the fundamental relationship between an impulsive force and the linear
momentum variation. Using various data, the use of an electronic sheet such
Excel gives an ‘impulse’ to put in practice the ‘errors-analysis’ theory.

1. Introduction The experimental setup is shown in figure 1.

In a beautiful paper [1] Van den Berg and et al,
proposed a very simple experiment engaging only
cotton buds and straws to verify the basic equa-
tion of the dynamics.
In his experiment, the final relationship
engages both the positions of the buds in each
straw and this position determination introduces
a relevant uncertainty in the result. This note
outlines some modifications in the experimental
apparatus that strongly reduces the uncertainties
in measurements and, in general, gives a more
reliable setup.
2.  Theory and experiment
Let a particle of mass m subjected to an impulse
Fdt, where F is a force, dt an infinitesimal time
interval, the basic equation of the dynamics states
Fdt = m dv
(1)
and dv is the variation of the velocity of the par-
ticle in time. The variation in time of the linear
momentum (right side in equation (1)) equals the
impulse (left side in equation  (1)). Therefore, if
we have the same impulse applied to two parti-
cles of masses m1 and m2 the velocities-variations
in time dv1 and dv2 should be different because
m1dv1  =  m2dv2.
A pair of identical straws and a pair of homemade
‘darts’ realised using bamboo sticks with a nee-
dle inserted at one end and here weighted. The
‘standard’ straws are long 185 mm and they have
a bore diameter around 4 mm. A pair of bamboo
skewers (diameter little less than 3.5 mm) are cut
(length about 70 mm) and a needle is inserted a
few millimeters and ensured using cyanoacrylate
glue at the end of each skewer. Each ‘dart’ is
weighted rolling a soldering tin coil around the
needle as shown in figure. Obviously, the ratio
of the masses is controlled using a 0.01 g reso-
lution balance. Suitable ‘darts’ are so realised in
order to take advantage of a target-landing place
of expanded Styrofoam foil: the weight located
near the needle ensures that the dart sticks into
the Styrofoam slab at each launch, as shown in
figure 2. This ‘trick’ reduces systematic errors in
determining the range of the two landing darts
after the launch, compared to the experimental
technique in [1]. Two or three standard Styrofoam
foils (thick 10 mm, length 1 m) are contiguously
disposed on the floor. A card meter glued on each
foil simplifies range measurements. The experi-
ment is very simple: a student, sit down on a
chair, launches simultaneously two darts blowing
in the straws horizontally placed. One can reason-
ably suppose the same force acting on each dart,

1361-6552/17/013002+4$33.00 1 © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd

S Ganci and D Lagomarsino Oneto

Figure 1. Experimental setup. One dart has mass 1.20 g  ±  0.03 g and the other a mass 0.80 g  ±  0.03 g.
Uncertainties are taken in 3 digits of the pocket balance.

Figure 2.  In all launches, the darts still land well determining the final impact.

so, the problem reduces to the horizontal launch 2h

of two particles from a height h with different ini- t=
(3)
g
tial velocities.
Let us supposed to disregard air drag and The horizontal component of the motion gives the
Archimedes buoyancy, in the special case of maximum distance d reached by the dart:
a particle with horizontal initial velocity v(0)
under the gravity the trajectory is a parabola arc 2h
d = v(0) ⋅ t = v(0) ⋅
(4)
with the vertex at height h, being h mouth height g
of the person blowing. The vertical component of
motion is Therefore, the impulse-momentum theorem gives:

1 m1v1(0) = F ∆t1
h = gt 2
(2) (5)
2 m2v2(0) = F ∆t2
where t is the time of flight. From equation (1) the where m1 and m2 are the masses of the darts and
time of flight is v1(0) and v2(0) the initial velocities horizontally

January 2017 2 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n
 A zero cost experiment on the ‘impulse-momentum theorem’
directed. The problem of the ranges d1 and d2 d1 m2
reached by each dart becomes a kinematical prob- =
(7)
d2 m1
lem because the range d of a body horizontally
launched from a height h with initial velocity v(0) In our case, using a pocket electronic balance
is given by equation (4). having 0.01 g resolution:
Let x the same path of the dart through each
straw and supposing the same force F acting on m1 =  1.20 g ± 0.03 g
each dart. Therefore, one can write m2 =  0.80 g ± 0.03 g
 m1
1 F ≈ 1.50 ± 0.07 (8)
x= ∆t12 m2
2 m1

1 F The agreement between expected ratio and the
x= ∆t 22 (6)
2 m2 experimental ratio found in 25 shots from the
same height h  = 0.9 m, could be estimated in
From equation (6) the times intervals Δt1 and Δt2 about 5%.
are inserted into equation (5) and the initial veloc- A typical example of a measurement is here
ities of each dart inserted in equation (4) giving reported using Excel for data elaboration, enclos-
the conclusion: ing the Excel sheet.

January 2017 3 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n
S Ganci and D Lagomarsino Oneto
Referring to the above Excel sheet, the exper­
imental value for the square root of the masses
ratio (m1/m2)1/2 is:
m1
≈ 1.2 ± 0.1
m2
where the uncertainty is assumed in the rounded
standard deviation and the agreement with the
root square ratio in equation (7) is about 4%.
3. Conclusion
The experiment, together to the theoretical sup-
port treated as a ‘problem solving’ example,
occupies a lecture of about a pair of hours. This
convincing agreement of the experimental set of
measures with the theoretical treatment appears
pedagogically significant in a physics course.
A matter of discussion with your students: why
Archimedes buoyancy and viscous drag of air do
not affect in a significant manner the trajectories?
There are sources of systematic errors during
blowing many times through the straws?
Acknowledgments
The linguistic revision of Ms Karen Rossi is
gratefully acknowledged.
January 2017
Received 31 August 2016, in final form 26 October 2016
Accepted for publication 11 November 2016
doi:10.1088/1361-6552/52/1/013002
Reference
[1] Van den Berg E, Nuñez J N and Guirit A 2000
Cotton buds, momentum and impulse Phys.
Teach. 36 52–3
Salvatore Ganci graduated in Physics
in 1972. He was professor of
Mathematics and Physics in Liceo
Scientifico di Stato ‘G. Marconi’ in
Chiavari from 1978 until 2004. His
major interest is in the Scalar Theory of
Diffraction (Boundary Diffraction
Wave Theory). As retired professor, he works as freelance,
mainly in pedagogical aspects of Physics.
 aniele Lagomarsino Oneto obtained
D
his Master Degree in Matter Physics in
2014. Currently he is interested in
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics and
particularly his research is focused on
dispersion processes in geophysical
flows. Recently he grows also his interest
in pedagogical aspects of Physics.
4 P h y s i c s E d u c at i o n