Momentum in Action: Exploring Elastic & Inelastic Collisions with PASCO Smart Carts

One of the trickiest ideas for GCSE and A-Level Physics students is momentum—not because the maths is hard, but because it’s abstract. Carts collide, numbers change, and students are expected to believe that momentum is conserved.

This is where PASCO Smart Carts and Capstone software really come into their own.

By running elastic and inelastic collision experiments, students can see momentum before and after a collision in real time—no stopwatches, no dodgy timing, no guesswork.

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🔬 The Practical Setup

Using two PASCO Smart Carts on a low-friction track:

• Elastic collisions
  Velcro disengaged / magnetic bumpers
  ➜ Carts bounce apart
  ➜ Momentum conserved, kinetic energy ~ conserved

• Inelastic collisions
  Velcro engaged
  ➜ Carts stick together
  ➜ Momentum conserved, kinetic energy decreases

Capstone automatically records:

• Velocity–time graphs

• Momentum before and after collision

• Clear numerical evidence of conservation of momentum

Students can instantly compare theory vs reality, which is exactly what exam questions demand.

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🎯 Why This Works So Well for Learning

✔ Removes timing errors
✔ Makes abstract ideas visible
✔ Links directly to exam mark schemes
✔ Encourages proper scientific discussion
✔ Ideal for GCSE → A-Level progression

This isn’t just a demo—it’s a thinking practical.