Linear momentum

Linear momentum is a product of the body’s mass and its velocity.

The S1 unit of momentum is kgms-1

When a force F is applied to a body, it changes the body’s velocity from u to v, the size of
the force and the time for which it acts on a body.

From F = ma
a=
F=
Ft = m(v-u)
Impulse of force is the product of force and the duration of its action or impulse is the
change in momentum of the body which is acted on by the force

Example 1
A body of mass 3kg initially moving with a velocity of 5ms-1 is acted on by a horizontal
force of 15N for 2s. Find the impulse and final speed.
Solution
Impulse = Ft
= 15 x 2
= 30N
Impulse = change in momentum
30 = m(v-u)
30 = 3(v-5)
v = 15ms-1

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Example 2
A tennis ball has a mass of 0.07kg. it approaches a racket with a speed of 5ms-1 and
bounces off and returns to the way it come with a speed of 4ms-1. The ball is in contact with
the racket for 0.2 seconds. Calculate
(i) The impulse given to the ball
(ii) The average force exerted on the ball by the racket.
Solution
(i) Impulse = Ft = m(v-u)
= 0.07(-4-5)
= -0.63Ns
(ii) F= * += = 3.15N

Collisions and principles of conservation of linear momentum

When two or more bodies collide, the total momentum of the system is conserved provided
there is no external force on the sysytem.

Consider a body of mass m1 moving with a velocity u1 to the right. Suppose the body makes
a head on collision with a nother body of mass m2 moving with velocity u2 in the same
direction

Let v1 and v2 be the velocities of the 2 bodies respectively after collision

Let F1 be the force exerted on m2 by m1 and F2 the force exerted on m1 by m2 using

Newton’s 2nd law.
F1 = ( ), F2 = ( ), where t is the time of collision
Using Newton’s third law
F1 = -F2
( ), = - ( ),
m1v1 + m2v2 = m1u1+m2u2
Hence, total momentum before collision = total momentum after collision, in other words
momentum is conserved.

When two bodies collide, there is a short period of contact during which each exerts a force
on each other at that instant, the force which each exert on each other is equal and opposite.

Types of collision
Collisions can be categorized as inelastic collision, perfectly inelastic, elastic or perfectly
elastic collisions.

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Elastic or perfectly elastic Inelastic collision Perfectly inelastic collision
collision
Kinetic energy is conserved Kinetic energy is not Kinetic energy is not
conserved conserved
Linear momentum is Linear momentum is Linear momentum is
conserved conserved conserved
Bodies separate after Bodies separate after Bodies stick together and
collision, e.g. collision of collision e.g. a ball bouncing move with a common
gas molecules from a concrete floor velocity. E.g. a trailer
colliding with a saloon car.

Elastic collision
Momentum is conserved
m1v1 + m2v2 = m1u1+m2u2
m1(u1 –v1) = m2(v2 – u2) ……………………………(i)

Kinetic energy is conserved

=
= ……………………….. (ii)

Equation (i) (ii)

=

Example 3
A 200g block moves to the right at a speed of 100cms-1 and meets a 400g block moving to
the left with a speed of 80cms-1. Find the final velocity of each block if the collision is
elastic.
Solution

(v2 – v1) = -(-0.8 – 1)

(v2 – v1) = -1.8 …………………… (i)
Using conservation of momentum

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m1v1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2
(0.2 x 1) + (-0.4 x 0.8) = 0.2v1 + 0.4v2
-0.12 = 0.2v1 + 0.4v2
-0.6 = v1 + 2v2 …………………….(ii)
Eqn (i) and Eqn (ii)
v2 = -1.8 + v1
-0.6 = v1 + 2(-1.8 +v1)
V1 = 1ms-1
V2 = -0.8ms-1

Example 4
A particle of mass m1, travelling with velocity u1 makes a perfectly elastic collision with a
stationary particle of mass m2. After the collision, the first particle moves a velocity v1
while the second particle moves in the same direction with velocity, v2. Show that
and

Solution

From the principle of conservation of momentum

Momentum before collision = momentum after collision
m1u1 + m2(0) = m1v1 + m2v2
v1 = ……………………………(i)
From conservation of kinetic energy
Kinetic energy before collision = kinetic energy after collision
=
= ………………………………… (ii)
Substituting equation (i) into equation (ii)
= * +

=
=
Dividing through by
=

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From the principle of conservation of momentum
Momentum before collision = momentum after collision
m1u1 + m2(0) = m1v1 + m2v2

……………………………………..(i)

From conservation of kinetic energy

Kinetic energy before collision = kinetic energy after collision
=
=
= ……………………………………….. (ii)
Equation (i) and (ii)
=

Example 5
A particle P of mass m1, travelling with a speed u1 makes a head on collision with a
stationary particle Q of mass m2. If the collision is elastic and speed of P and Q after impact
are v1 and v2 respectively show that if b =

(i)

(ii)
Solution

From the principle of conservation of momentum

Momentum before collision = momentum after collision
m1u1 + m2(0) = m1v1 + m2v2
v2 =
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 v2 = b ……………………………(i)
From conservation of kinetic energy
Kinetic energy before collision = kinetic energy after collision
=
=
=
= ……………………………………….. (ii)
Squaring equation (i)
= b2 …………………………………………………………(iii)

Equation (ii) and (iii)

= b2
=b
=
…………………………………………………………… (iv)

(ii) Consider

……………………………………………….(v)
Substitution Eqn (v) into (i)
v2 = b
Dividing through by v1

Example 6
An object X of mass m moving with velocity 10ms-1 collides with a stationary object Y of
equal mass. After collision, x, moves with speed u at an angle 300 to its initial direction,
while Y moves with a speed of V at an angle 900 to the new direction of x.
(i) Calculate the speed u and v.
(ii) Determine whether the collision is inelastic or not.

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Consider horizontal momentum
From the principle of conservation of conservation of momentum
m x 10 + m x 0 = m x ucos 300 + mvcos 600
√
10 = ……………………………..(i)
Consider vertical momentum
√
mx0+mx0=
u = v√ …………………………………(ii)
Putting Eqn (ii) into Eqn (i)
20 = (v√ √ +v
20 = 4v
v = 5ms-1
u = 5√ ms-1
(iii) Kinetic energy before = = 50M J
Kinetic energy after collision =

Exercise
1. A bullet of mass 300g travelling at a speed of 8ms-1hits a body of mass 450g moving
in the same direction as the bullet at 1.5ms-1. The bullet and the body move together
after collision. Find the loss in kinetic energy. [Ans. 3.8025J]
2. A particle A of mass 4kg is incident with velocity V on a stationary helium nucleus B
of mass 4kg. After collision, A moves in direction BC with velocity v/2 where BC
makes an angle of 600 with the initial direction of AB and the helium nucleus moves
along BD. Calculate the angle made in direction AB and the velocity of the helium
√
along BD. [θ = 300, velocity = ]

3. (a) State Newton’s laws of motion

(b) Use Newton’s laws of motion to show that when two bodies collide, their
momentum is conserved.
(c) Two balls P and Q travelling in the same direction line in opposite direction with
speeds 6ms-1 and 15ms-1 inelastic collision. If the masses of P and Q are 8kg and
5kg respectively, find the
(i) final velocity [Ans. 2.08ms-1]
(ii) change in kinetic energy [Ans. 28.03J]
(d) (i) What is an impulse of force?
(ii) Explain why a long jumper should normally land on sand.
The force exerted on a long jumper on coming to rest is given by F = change in
momentum over time taken. Since the change in momentum is constant, it Implies
that if the time taken to when coming to rest is increased, then the force exerted on
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 the knees of the jumper reduces. Sand increases the time taken for the jumper to
stop reducing the damaging force to the knee.
4. (a)(i) State the law of conservation of linear momentum
(ii) Use Newton’s laws to derive the above.
(b) Distinguish between elastic and inelastic collisions
(c) An object X of mass m moving with velocity 10ms-1 collides with a stationary
object Y of equal mass. After collision, x, moves with speed u at an angle 300 to its
initial direction, while Y moves with a speed of V at an angle 900 to the new
direction.
(i) Calculate the speed u and v. [Ans. u = 5√ ms-1, v =5ms-1]
(ii) Determine whether the collision is inelastic or not. [Ans. kinetic energy on both
sides = (50M)J, since kinetic energy is conserved, the collision is elastic]
5. (a) (i) Define linear momentum
(ii) State the law of conservation of linear momentum.
(iii) Show that in (ii) above follows Newton’s laws of motion.
(iv) Explain why, when catching a fast moving ball, the hands are drawn back
while the ball is being brought to rest.
(b) A car of mass 100kg travelling at uniform velocity of 20ms-1 collides perfectly
in elastically with a stationary car of mass 1500kg. Calculate the loss in
kinetic energy of the car as a result of collision. [Ans. 168000J]

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