This is a computer simulation of an air track. Two carts are provided; their masses and velocities can be varied within specified limits. Options for totally elastic or inelastic bumpers are also available. The coefficient of restitution can be varied, so a range of inelastic collisions are possible.
Type of Material:
Simulation
Recommended Uses:
In class demos or a student activity.
Technical Requirements:
Requires a Java-enabled browser.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
To understand the roles of kinetic energy and momentum in a 1-dimensional collision.
Target Student Population:
High school and lower division undergraduate.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Although no particular skills are needed to run the simulation, students will not get much from it unless they are familiar with the definitions of momentum and kinetic energy and conservation laws.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This is a good simulation of two carts colliding on an air track. Results are accurate, and the apparent rate of motion for the carts is proportional to actual speed.
Concerns:
Units used for masses and velocities are not specified and do not appear to correspond to standard conventions (SI or cgs).
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This would be useful as the basis for an assignment or for introducing collision material in the classroom. Its clear simple and to the point. The "create your own" option is a useful feature for designing student assignments.
Concerns:
Omitting units from the masses and velocities is a concern; students do not need any encouragement in their efforts to do the same.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The basic controls to run the applet are intuitive and easy to use.
Concerns:
It would be better if the parameters under user control could be typed directly into the text boxes that display them. The current system brings up new windows with dialog boxes to enter cart parameters whenever the "create your own" button is selected. This tends to create a lot of windows; especially since the only way to remove these windows is to click the "done" buttom in the body.
Finally, alpha is changed by clicking a button within the applet; however, this button is only active when the "create your own" option is selected. When it is active, the dialog window pops up behind the applet. These peculuarities make the applet somewhat awkward to use.
Creative Commons:
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