Thomas Jefferson High School Physics Students Conduct Nerf-Car Collision Lab

Students in Mrs. Kuhse’s Physics Classes have been studying the Law of Conservation of Momentum as it applies to collisions. Students applied this knowledge in a Nerf-Car Collision Lab experiment by determining the speed of a Nerf dart before it struck a toy car. Multiple trials were conducted by launching the dart at the car and then calculating the speed of the car based on how far it moved after impact and how long it took to travel that distance. The students observed the “elastic” collision between the car and the dart and were able to calculate how fast the dart was moving before the collision took place. What a fun and creative way to reinforce Physics Concepts!