Much attention is paid in elementary physics courses to the modeling of dynamical systems, usually through the study of Newton's laws of motion. Typical problems one solves in such courses involve determining the path of a particle/projectile under the force of gravity, but few courses pursue this model past the initial point of impact. In this talk, we explore an intuitive approach for modeling systems with impact. We also discuss methods for implementing this  model for numerical simulation.

Ben and Ted are graduate students from the University of Iowa, following the talk students and faculty are invited to join us as we take our speakers out to dinner and discuss graduate study at the University of Iowa.