Forces and Motion

Momentum refers to the amount of motion that is taking place. To calculate the momentum of an object, multiply its mass times its velocity. When groups of objects are involved, and there is no outside force, the total momentum of the group does not change. This is referred to as the law of conservation of momentum. In this virtual investigation, you can choose different moving truck scenarios to see how mass and velocity affect momentum. You will observe what happens to the momentum of trucks when they collide and when they connect together. Enter the data you collect in the data sheet (icon in the top right). Remember, this data sheet is draggable and scrollable. Be aware that if you move outside of the Virtual Investigation to other parts of the multimedia lesson, your data will not be saved.