Investigator

Responsibilities

As the team coordinator and head investigator, it is your job to research elastic and inelastic collisions and, using reports from the auto expert and collision expert, determine whether this collision was elastic or inelastic in nature.  Further, you are responsible for coordinating the work of the entire team to insure that each team member is providing the appropriate information to put together a comprehensive picture of what happened during the accident.

1. Research the qualitative and quantitative definitions of kinetic energy, as well as what differences exist between elastic and inelastic collisions both qualitatively and quantitatively.
• APlusPhysics Kinetic Energy
• APlusPhysics Collisions
• Physics Classroom Kinetic Energy
• PhysicsLab Kinetic Energy
2. Using the information provided by the auto expert and collision expert, determine whether the accident you are investigating is elastic or inelastic.  Examples of similar situations may be used for reference:
• Physics Classroom Collisions
3. Create a one-page type-written report (including appropriate diagrams and equations) explaining your work and showing your derivations.