What is the Law of Conservation of Momentum? Explain how it applies to collisions on a football field.

The Law of Conservation of Momentum states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it. In football, the total momentum of the players before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

Explain the difference between an elastic and an inelastic collision, and classify collisions on a football field as one or the other. Justify your answer.

In an elastic collision, kinetic energy is conserved. In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved, and is often converted to heat, sound, or deformation. Collisions on a football field are inelastic because kinetic energy is lost due to compression, sound, and other forms of energy dissipation.

Exploring Newton's Laws Lesson Plan for 11th Grade

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Objective

I can apply Newton's Laws of Motion to solve problems involving forces and motion.

Part 1 of 4

Warm-up video

National Science Foundation News · 4:13

We don't generate video — this one is by National Science Foundation News on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.

Part 2 of 4

Key concepts

3 concepts

1
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
2
Momentum in football is calculated by multiplying a player's mass by their velocity, represented by the formula P = MV.
3
In football, collisions are typically inelastic collisions, where kinetic energy is released as compression between players' bodies and sound waves.

Part 3 of 4

Practice

12 questions

State Newton's Third Law of Motion in your own words, relating it to the forces experienced by two colliding football players.

Define momentum and explain how it is calculated. Give an example using estimated values for a football player's mass and velocity.

Part 4 of 4

Exit ticket

Quick comprehension check

“A football player with a mass of 100 kg is running at a velocity of 5 m/s. He collides head-on with another player with a mass of 120 kg running in the opposite direction. After the collision, both players are momentarily at rest. What was the velocity of the second player before the collision?”

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Exploring Newton's Laws

Objective

Warm-up video

Key concepts

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