Oblique impact of ice hockey and plastic pucks with a rigid surface

Abstract

Abstract The collision of a disk with a rigid surface is analysed in this paper assuming that the disk slides throughout the collision at glancing angles or grips the surface at other angles of incidence. Experimental results are presented for an ice hockey puck and a plastic disk, showing that there is no rolling involved, as assumed in previous studies. Measurements are presented of the outgoing speed, angle and spin as a function of the angle of incidence, and the results are described in terms of the normal and tangential coefficients of restitution plus the coefficient of sliding friction. The experiment would be suitable for use in a student laboratory.