Living Physics Portal: Keeping Colliding Particles in a Box

Abstract: Students in this exercise focus on modeling a collision between a small particle and a wall (see Underlying Physics). They modify a line that uses a position check between where a particle is and where the boundaries of the “box” are, and then modify an If statement to reverse the direction of the velocity. The life science goal of this activity is to imagine the collision happening in a defined container - such as a cell. This exercise is the second exercise of the larger diffusion sequence of activities.

Resource Types: In-class activity, Lab

Authors:

Abhilash Nair

Michigan State University

Vashti Sawtelle

Michigan State University

Lisa Lapidus

Michigan State University

BLiSS Physics

Living Physics Portal Team

TOPICS

Physics Topics:

Classical Mechanics > Linear Momentum > Collisions in One Dimension, Conservation of Linear Momentum

Classical Mechanics > Motion in One Dimension > Velocity

Life Sciences Topics:

Molecular and Cellular Biology > Cellular Dynamics, Cellular Interactions

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Diffusion Model through Conservation of Momentum and Energy > Keeping Colliding Particles in a Box

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License: CC: BY-NC-SA - Attribution, No Commercial uses and Share Alike. Derivative works must have the same license

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