There are two parts for this questions...

"When a bowling ball collides with the pins, the momentum of the bowling ball and the pins is conserved." Give the assumptions and conditions for this statement.

Compare the effect on the collision between the bowling ball and the pins if a bowling ball of greater mass is being thrown.

I will be happy to critique your thinking. It is of no advantage to your Gestalt processing if I do the thinking for you.

This is worth thinking on also:
http://think-such.blogspot.com/2009/01/gestalt.html

The material has not been properly covered in the course, but I have done some research on the net and tried to answer it myself, but this assignment counts a lot towards my final grade, so I just wanna make sure everything is right...

For the first part, I know that in order that the momentum is conserved, there has to be no external force. So I guess there just has to be no friction nor air resistance.

For the second part, the change in velocity of the bowling ball will be smaller and the pins will move at higher velocity.

I am not sure if I am correct and the teacher demands longer answers...

Assumptions and Conditions:

1. The collision is an isolated system, meaning no external forces or frictional forces are acting on the bowling ball or the pins during the collision.
2. The collision is considered to be an elastic collision, meaning that no kinetic energy is lost during the collision. The kinetic energy of the system before the collision is equal to the kinetic energy of the system after the collision.
3. The collision occurs in a two-dimensional setting, neglecting any rotational effects that may arise due to spin on the bowling ball or the pins.
4. The interaction between the bowling ball and the pins is brief, occurring over a short time interval.
5. The bowling ball and the pins are assumed to be rigid bodies, with no deformations or changes to their shape during the collision.
6. The collision occurs in a vacuum or an environment with negligible air resistance.

Effect of a Bowling Ball with Greater Mass:

When a bowling ball with a greater mass is thrown and collides with the pins, the effect on the collision can be observed in terms of the momentum transfer and the overall motion of the pins. The greater mass of the bowling ball results in a larger momentum compared to a ball with a smaller mass.

1. Momentum Transfer: The momentum of an object is the product of its mass and velocity. Since momentum is conserved in collisions, when a heavier bowling ball collides with the pins, it transfers more momentum to the pins compared to a lighter ball. This increased momentum can result in a greater force exerted on the pins, potentially leading to a larger displacement or a higher chance of knocking down more pins.

2. Motion of the Pins: The greater mass of the bowling ball can also affect the motion of the pins. The heavier ball can impart a larger force on the pins, causing them to move with greater momentum. This increased momentum can result in the pins traveling a greater distance or colliding with other pins more forcefully, potentially leading to a greater scattering or more pins falling down.

In summary, a bowling ball with a greater mass will have a greater momentum and, therefore, can transfer more momentum to the pins during the collision. This can result in a larger force exerted on the pins and potentially knock down more pins or cause them to scatter more significantly compared to a ball with a smaller mass.

To answer the first part of the question, we need to understand a few key concepts: momentum and conservation of momentum.

Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity. It is a measure of how difficult it is to stop the object from moving. The momentum of an object is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

Conservation of momentum is a fundamental principle in physics, which states that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant before and after a collision, provided there are no external forces acting on the system.

Now, let's break down the assumptions and conditions for the statement "When a bowling ball collides with the pins, the momentum of the bowling ball and the pins is conserved."

1. Assumption: The system is isolated, meaning no external forces are acting on it except for the collision between the bowling ball and the pins. This implies that no external factors, such as air resistance or friction, significantly affect the motion of the ball and the pins during the collision.

2. Condition: The collision is a perfectly elastic collision, where kinetic energy is conserved. In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

By considering these assumptions and conditions, we can apply the principle of conservation of momentum to understand and analyze the collision between the bowling ball and the pins.

Moving on to the second part of your question, we need to compare the effect of the collision between the bowling ball and the pins if a bowling ball of greater mass is thrown.

Assuming all other factors remain constant (such as the initial speed of the ball and the angle of impact), the key difference lies in the mass of the objects involved.

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before and after the collision should be the same.

If a bowling ball of greater mass is thrown, it would have a higher initial momentum compared to a ball of smaller mass. Consequently, in order to conserve momentum, the change in momentum of the ball after the collision should be smaller in magnitude but in the same direction.

As a result, the effect of the collision between the bowling ball and the pins would be that the pins are likely to experience a greater force and displacement due to the higher momentum of the ball. The impact may cause the pins to scatter or even get knocked down more easily, compared to a collision with a ball of smaller mass.

Overall, the greater mass of the bowling ball would lead to a more significant effect during the collision with the pins.