Conservation: It’s the Law!

Use marbles and foam pipe insulation "track" to explore where energy "goes" during a collision.

Key Questions

• How does the momentum of objects change before and after a collision?
• Where does the energy of moving objects "go" in a collision?

Student Directions

1. View the Introduction video.
2. Download and print the Student Activity Sheet.
3. Do the activity and begin answering the analysis questions.
4. View the Conclusion video and finish answering the analysis questions.
5. View the video segment of "It's Basic Physics" to help review the science concept(s).

Kinetic Energy: the energy of motion

Law of Conservation of Energy: in a given system, the total amount of energy in the system always stays the same; energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred or transformed

Law of Conservation of Momentum: in a collision between two or more objects, the total amount of momentum of the objects immediately before the collision is the same as the total amount of momentum of the objects immediately after the collision