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Collision lab

Learning objects Collision lab

TLF ID M019542

This is an interactive resources about simple collisions and conservation of momentum. Students use a virtual air hockey table to investigate simple collisions in 1D and more complex collisions in 2D. They experiment with the number of discs, masses, and initial conditions. They can also vary the elasticity and see how the total momentum and kinetic energy changes during collisions. This interactive resource is supported by tips for teachers and ideas for using the resource that have been submitted by other educators.

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Educational details

Educational value
  • This is a useful resource for the year ten science curriculum. It is particularly relevant for the content description referring to the motion of objects and physical laws.
  • This is a useful resource for the senior secondary physics curriculum. It is relevant for the units referring to linear motion, particularly those involving describing vector diagrams and momentum.
  • This resource could be useful for the senior chemistry curriculum, in the units referring to how collision theory relates to rates of reactions.
Year level

10; 11; 12

Topics Motion
Learning area
  • Science

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Organization: University of Colorado Boulder
  • URL: http://phet.colorado.edu/
  • Publisher
  • Name: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Organization: University of Colorado Boulder
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: http://phet.colorado.edu/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Unknown
Learning Resource Type
  • Interactive
  • Online
Rights
  • © 2015 University of Colorado. This resource may be used in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/, provided that the source is acknowledged. PhET logo may be used for attribution purposes only.