3.

04 Momentum and impulse

Understand the concepts of momentum and impulse and
apply the principle of conservation of momentum to solve
problems
 Is a useful quantity to consider when bodies are
involved in collisions and explosions

 It is defined as the mass of a body multiplied by

its velocity.
 Its derived SI unit is kg.m/s

Momentum = Mass x Velocity

or p = m x v

Momentum
 Because momentum is a vector quantity, that depends
on mass and velocity, it can change when:

1. The object speeds up or slows down

2. The object changes direction
3. The object, after collision or explosion, joins or
leaves the other object, changing its mass.

Momentum factors
Ex 1. Calculate the momentum of
a. a man of mass 70 kg walking at 1.2 m/s;
b. a soccer ball of mass 400 g moving at 25 m/s;
c. a car of total mass 1000 kg travelling at 18 km/h.

a. man = 70 kg x 1.2 m/s = 84 kg m/s

b. soccer = 0.4 kg × 25 m/s = 10 kg m/s
c. car = 1000 kg × 5 m/s = 5000 kg m/s

Example 1
Ex 2. What is the speed of a bus with mass 8000 kg and
momentum of 88 000 kg m/s?

m = 8000 kg, p = 88 000 kg m/s

By definition, p = mv
p
v =
m
88 000 kg m/s
v =
8 000 kg
v = 11 m/s

Example 2
 The apparatus shown can be used to find the velocity of
a trolley before and after a collision, in different
scenarios ( elastic and inelastic collisions)

 Two photogates placed each side of the collision point

 A trolley of length l takes time t to pass through a

photogate, so its velocity = distance/time = l/t

 A tickertape or motion sensor, placed at the top end of

the runway, could be used instead of photogates

Collisions and
momentum
 A collision in which there is no net loss in kinetic
energy in the system, as a result of the collision.

 Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved

 The scenario is applied when two trolleys are moving

toward each other with equal speed. They collide,
bouncing off each other without loss in speed. This
collision is perfectly elastic because no energy has
been lost.

 Another scenario is when a trolley collides with a similar

one at rest causing it to gain its speed while the first
trolley stops

Elastic collisions
Elastic collisions
 A collision in which there is a loss in kinetic energy
because some of the kinetic energy had been
transformed to something else; thermal energy, sound
energy and material deformation are likely culprits.

 The scenario is applied when two trolleys move towards

each other. They collide, but because the trolleys are
equipped with magnetic couplers they join together
and become one connected mass. This type of
collision is perfectly inelastic because the maximum
possible kinetic energy has been lost.

 Recall that momentum must still be conserved so the

final kinetic energy isn’t necessary zero

Inelastic collisions
Inelastic collisions
 When two bodies collide, they exert a force over the
same period of time which results in a change in
momentum
 As mentioned in Newton’s third law, if object A exerts
a force on object B then object B exerts an equal and
opposite force on object A.
 This means that the change in momentum will be
equal and opposite

Conservation of momentum
 The statement below is the principle of conservation
of momentum
"When two or more bodies act on one another, as in a
collision, the total momentum of the bodies remains
constant, provided no external forces act (e.g. friction)."

 Recall that no external forces must act on the

colliding bodies because this would result in
momentum being added to the system.

Conservation of momentum
Ex 3. Suppose a truck of mass 60 kg is moving with a
velocity of 3 m/s collides and couples with a stationary
trolley of mass 30 kg. The two moves off together with
the same velocity v. Find their velocity?
Because no external force is acting on them and their collision
is purely inelastic, the principle of conservation of momentum
applies where total momentum before equals after, so:
m1u1 + m2u2 = (m1+m2)v1and2
60 kg x 3 m/s + 30 kg x 0 m/s = (60+30) kg x v1and2
v1and2 = 180 kg.m/s / 90 kg = 2 m/s →

Example 3
Ex 4. Ball A of mass 0.12 kg is moving forward at a speed
of 0.40 m/s in a straight line on a smooth surface. It
collides with a stationary ball B of mass 0.09 kg. Ball B
moves forward at a velocity of 0.40 m/s. What is the
velocity of ball A after the collision?

 m1u1 + m2u2 =m1v1 + m2v2

0.12 x 0.40 + 0 x 0.09 = 0.12 x v1 + 0.09 x 0.40
 0.048 = 0.036 + 0.12 v1
v2 = 0.10 m/s →

Example 4
Ex 5. A white pool ball was shot at 2.0 m/s making an
elastic collision with a target ball of equal mass, that is
initially at rest. After collision, the white ball bounced back
at a speed of 1.0 m/s, while the target ball moved in the
same initial direction of the white ball. Find the speed of
the target ball after collision?

Example 5
 Because no external force is acting on the two pool balls
and their collision is purely elastic, the principle of
conservation of momentum applies, where the total
momentum before equals after, so:

 m1u1 + m2u2 =m1v1 + m2v2

2.0 m/s x m1 + 0 m/s x m2 = -1.0 m/s x m1+ m2v2;
 since m1=m2= m, then
2.0 m = -1.0 m + v2x m, divide the equation by m
v2 = 3.0 m/s →

Example 5
 Explosions are opposite to collisions, in explosions
objects move apart

 Momentum is conserved in an explosion. Some

examples are:
1. Deflating balloon: If you release an inflated balloon
with its neck open, it flies off in the opposite direction
to that of the escaping air. The air and the balloon will
have the same momentum but in opposite directions.

Explosions
2. Firing: When a rifle is fired. Before firing, the total
momentum is zero since both the rifle and bullet are
at rest .During firing, the rifle and bullet receive
equal but opposite amounts of momentum so that
the total momentum after firing is also zero

Explosions
3. Rockets and jets:
A rocket engine gets thrust in one
direction by pushing out a huge
mass of gas very quickly in the
opposite direction, hence, the
momentum of the hot exhaust
gases equals the momentum of
the rocket.
The gas is produced by burning
fuel and oxygen. They are either
stored as cold liquids or the fuel
may be stored in compressed
chemical compounds

Explosions
Ex 6. A gun of mass 4.0 kg fires a bullet of mass 10g at a
speed of 60 m/s. What is the initial speed of recoil of the
gun?
Because the principle of conservation of momentum occurs and
both the rifle and the bullet are considered as one mass (m1 +
m2) and at rest, before firing, then:
(m1+ m2) u1+2 = m1v1 + m2v2
(4.0 kg + 0.01 kg) x 0 m/s = 4.0 kg x v1 + 0.01 kg x -60 m/s
0.6 kg.m/s = 4.0 kg x v1
v1 = 0.15 m/s to the opposite direction of the bullet

Example 6
Ex 7. A rocket is moving vertically upward, 5 kg fuel gas
is released out of it in downward direction with a velocity
of 5000 m/s. If the mass of rocket is 1000 kg, what will
be its velocity?
The principle of conservation of momentum occurs where
u1=u2=zero and both masses are considered one body, before
explosion, then,
m1v1 + m2v2 = 0 m/s
v2 = 5000 m/s x 5 kg / 1000 kg
v2 = 25 m/s upward (opposite direction of gas)

Example 7
 Write an exit card that answers the following questions:

a. What is an impulse and how it is related to Newton’s

laws of motion?
b. How studying impulse and momentum can keep us
safe during vehicule crashes and explosions.

 You can draw diagrams for better understanding.

BYOD activity:
 If a steady force F acting on a body of mass m increases
its velocity from u to v in time t, the acceleration a is
given by:

 a = (v − u) / t, from Newton's second law, substituting

a in F = ma, then F = m(v − u) / t or:
Force = Change of momentum / Time or Ft = mv − mu

Where:
 mv is the final momentum
 mu the initial momentum
 Ft is called the impulse

Impulse
Ex 8. What force is needed to get a 25 kg stationary
bicycle to move at 12 m/s in 5 s?

Force = change of momentum / time or

F = m(v − u)/t, so:
F = 25 kg x (12 m/s - 0 m/s) / 5 s = 60 N

Example 8
Ex 9. The figure shows a boy kicking a stationary ball of
mass 0.4 kg with an average force of 100 N . The ball
moved at 5 m/s immediately afterwards. Calculate
a. the impulse of the force exerted on the ball;
b. the time of contact between his boot and the ball.

a. Ft = m(v – u)
Ft = 0.4 (5 – 0) = 2 kg.m/s or 2 N.s

b. Ft = 2 and F = 100 N so:

t = 2/100 = 0.02 s

Example 9
1.When we want to stop a moving ball such as a cricket
ball, its momentum has to be reduced to zero.
An impulse is then required in the form of an opposing
force acting for a certain time. While any number of
combinations of force and time will give a particular
impulse, the ‘sting’ can be removed from the catch by
drawing back the hands as the ball is caught.

 Thus, a smaller average force is then applied for a

longer time

Applications
of impulse
2.Theuse of sand gives a softer landing for long-jumpers,
as a smaller stopping force is applied over a longer
time, or in other words, sand reduces the athlete's
momentum more gently.

Applications
of impulse
 In a crash, a car suddenly stops moving. The kinetic
energy and the momentum of the car rapidly fall to
zero

 This produces huge forces on the occupants and this

can be fatal.
 Therefore, car is designed with safety features in order
to reduce the risk of injury or death to occupants

Applications
of impulse
 Car safety features:
1. Seat belts
2. Headrests
3. Airbags
4. Crumple zones
5. Cargo barriers

1. Seat belts:
The seat belt is designed to prevent the occupant from colliding
with the glass windshield, when the car stops suddenly. It
stretches slightly thereby increasing its time of contact
with the wearer. This reduces the force of the impact on the
seat belt wearer

Car safety
2. Headrests:

Ensure that if the car is hit from behind, the head will be
moved forward at the same time and rate as the body
and not backwards over the top of the seat. This prevents
damage to the top of the spine.

Car safety
3. Airbags:

Airbags are designed to inflate before the passengers bodies

can be thrown forward by the impact, to protect the driver
from injury by the steering wheel, through increasing the
time taken for the passenger to decelerate to zero . Thus,
reducing the force of impact.

Car safety
4. Crumple zones:
Crumple Zones are areas at the front and back of a car
designed to crumple in the event of a collision.

This reduces the danger that could be caused by the engine

being involved in a collision. It also increases the time it
takes for the change in velocity to occur, and because
acceleration = change in velocity divided by time, so that there
is less total force distributed throughout the vehicle.

Car safety
5. Cargo barriers:
Are enforced metal grilles positioned between storage space at
the back of the car and the area where passengers sit.
When the vehicle stops suddenly or changes direction, loose
cargo will continue travelling at the velocity it had maintained
before until something stops it.
Therefore, cargo barriers are designed to protect the driver
and occupants from the cargo they may be carrying in the
event of a crash or accident.

Car safety
Ex 10. Which is more damaging a mostly elastic or mostly
inelastic vehicle collision?
 This depends on what you are concerned about damaging –
the vehicle or the occupant!
 Suppose a vehicle collides elastically with another object.
The vehicle will necessarily rebound. The change in
momentum as the vehicle rebounds is greater than in an
equivalent inelastic collision. The force on an occupant is
therefore greater and that is clearly worse for the
occupant. On the other hand, because it is an elastic
collision no energy will be dissipated in deforming the
vehicle. Damage to the structure of the vehicle would
therefore be minimized.

Example 10
Ex 11. Suppose a car of mass 1250 kg crashes into a
concrete wall. The speed of the car is 7.2 m/s just before
it hits the wall. Calculate the average force on the car as
it hits the wall if it takes
a. 0.1 s for the car to come to a complete stop;
b. 0.4 s for the car to come to a complete stop.

a. Ft = m(v – u) b. Ft = m(v – u)
0.1 F = 1250 x (0 - 7.2) 0.4 x t = 1250 (0 – 7.2)
F = - 90000 N F = -22500 N

Example 11
Q1. What is the momentum in kg.m/s of a 10 kg truck
travelling at:
a. 5 m/s b. 20 cm/s c. 36 km/h

Q2. A ball X of mass 1 kg travelling at 2 m/s has a head-

on collision with an identical ball Y at rest. X stops and Y
moves off. What is Y’s velocity and what is the type of
collision?

Q3. A boy with mass 50 kg running at 5 m/s jumps on to

a 20 kg trolley travelling in the same direction at 1.5 m/s.
What is their common velocity and what is the type of
collision?

Homework
Q4. A girl of mass 50 kg jumps out of a rowing boat of
mass 300 kg on to the bank, with a horizontal velocity of
3 m/s. With what velocity does the boat begin to move
backwards?

Q5. A truck of mass 500 kg moving at 4 m/s collides with

another truck of mass 1500 kg moving in the same
direction at 2 m/s. What is their common velocity just
after the collision if they move off together and what is
the type of collision?

Q6. A ball of mass 0.625 kg hits the ground at 4 m/s . It

bounces back from the ground at 3.8 m/s. Calculate the
impulse on the ball.

Homework
Q7. The velocity of a body of mass 10 kg increases from
4 m/s to 8 m/s when a force acts on it for 2 s. What is
the momentum before and after the force acts, and what
is the value of this force?

Q8. A rocket of mass 10000 kg uses 5.0 kg of fuel and

oxygen to produce exhaust gases ejected at 5000 m/s.
Calculate the increase in its velocity.

Q9. Explain why when we punch the wall by a certain

force we get hurt by the reaction force, while when we
punch the air with the same force, we will not feel this
reaction force?

Homework
Q10. A small rocket pushes out 2 kg of exhaust gas every
second at a velocity of 100 m/s.
a. What thrust force is produced by the engine?
b. If the engine pushed out twice the mass of gas at half
the velocity, what would the thrust be?

Q11. A trolley of mass 2 kg rests next to a trolley of mass

3 kg on a flat bench. When a spring is released between
the trolleys, and they are pushed apart, the 2 kg trolley
travels to the left at 6 m/s. What is the velocity of the 3
kg trolley?

Homework