SCIENCE 9 QUARTER 4: MODULE 3

MOMENTUM AND IMPULSE

MOMENTUM and IMPULSE

Momentum simply means "mass in motion." It is equal to the product of mass and velocity.
Mathematically, it is expressed as

where:
p = momentum in kilogram ∙ meter per second (kg ∙ m/s)
m = mass of the moving object in kilogram (kg)
ν = velocity of the moving object in meter per second (m/s)

Things to consider in defining momentum:

a. The object has mass.
b. The object is moving.
Any moving object with a quantity of matter has momentum. “If any object of any mass is not
moving, it has zero momentum since its velocity is zero.”

Sample Problem:
1. What is the momentum of a 22 kg grocery cart which travels at 1.2m/s?
Given:
m = 22 kg
v = 1.2 m/s
Rqd: p = ?
Sol’n:
p = mv
p = 22 kg (1.2 m/s)
p = 26.4 kg.m/s

When the object slows down or moves faster, its velocity decreases or increases. If there is a change
in the velocity or the mass of an object, there is also a change in momentum. That change of
momentum is called Impulse.

Impulse = Change in Momentum

What do you think the impulse of an object moving with constant momentum?
Ans: Constant means there is no change. Therefore, there is no impulse or zero impulse for objects
moving with constant momentum.

Relationship of Impulse and Momentum to Collision of Objects

In collisions, an object that experiences a greater change in momentum has a greater

impulse.

Therefore, this shows the relationship between impulse and momentum, that a change in
momentum is equal to impulse.

CONSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM

The law of conservation of momentum states that: when two objects in an isolated system collide,
the total momentum of the objects before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the objects
after the collision.
Conserved/conservation - in physics, it refers to something which doesn't change. This means that
the variable in an equation which represents a conserved quantity is constant over time. It has the
same value both before and after an event.

Mathematically;
m1v1+m2v2 =(m1+m2) v′

Where:
m1 = mass of the first object in kilogram (kg);
v1 = velocity of the first object before collision in meter per second (m/s);
m2 = mass of the second object in kilogram (kg);
v2 = velocity of the second object before collision in meter per sec (m/s); and
v′ = velocity of the combined object after collision in meter per sec (m/s)

Sample Problem # 1

A 0.2-kg billiard ball traveling at 1.5 m/s on a table undergoes a collision with another 0.15-kg billiard
ball travelling at 2.0 m/s. The two cue balls stick together after collision. What is the velocity of the
combined balls after the collision?

Step 1: Identify the given in the problem

m1 =0.2 kg (mass of the first billiard ball)
m2 =0.10 kg (mass of the second billiard ball)
v1 =1.5 m/s (velocity of the first billiard ball)
v2 =3.0 m/s (velocity of the second billiard ball)

Step 2: Identify what is asked in the problem.

You are asked to determine the velocity of the combined (v’) balls after the collision:
v' = ? (solve for the combined velocity of the two cue balls after collision)

Step 3: Use the equation to solve for the unknown.

p(before) = p(after)
(total momentum before collision = total momentum after collision

Step 4: Thus by simplifying the equations above, the velocity of the combined cue balls after the
collision is:

Therefore: the two billiard balls moved together 2.0 m/s towards the direction of motion of the first
ball.

Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion - for every interaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
 COLLISIONS
Þ Is an encounter between two objects resulting in exchange of impulse and momentum.
Types of Collision
A. Elastic Collision
Þ One in which the total kinetic energy of the system does not change, and the colliding objects bounce
off after collision.

B. Inelastic Collision
Þ One in which the total kinetic energy of the system changes (i.e. converted to some other form of
energy. Objects that stick together after collision is said to be perfectly inelastic.

Assessment 3.1. A. True or False. Read each statement below carefully. Write T on the space
before the number if you think a statement it TRUE and write F, if you think the statement is FALSE.
B. Modified True or False. Write true on the space provided before the number if the statement is
correct, but if it is false, change the underlined word or group of words to make the whole
statement true.
___________1. A moving object has momentum.
___________2. When the object slows down, the velocity increases.
___________3. An object with zero velocity has zero momentum.
___________4. An object moving with constant momentum has impulse.
___________5. If there is no change in momentum, there would be no impulse.

Assessment 3.2. Read the following situations involving collisions and answer the questions that
follow.

Situation 1: Suppose that two cars with equal masses collide with each other. Car A travels faster
than Car B. They both stopped after collision.

a. Which of the two cars has the greatest change of velocity?

b. Which car has the greater change in momentum? Explain your answer.
c. Which car has the greater impulse?
Hint: The object that experiences a greater impulse is the one that has the greater change in
momentum.

Situation 2: A basketball and ping pong ball collided having the same
velocity but different mass.
a. Which ball has a lesser momentum?
b. Which ball has a greater impulse?

Situation 3: Two marbles collide. Marble A has greater mass and velocity
while Marble B has smaller mass and velocity.
a. Which has a greater momentum- marble A or B?
b. Which marble has a greater impulse?
c. Which marble would you think will be thrown away?
d. Why?

Assessment 3.3. From the pool of choices, choose one that best describes the statement/question.
Write your answer on a 1 whole sheet of paper. Write the LETTER AND WORDS/SENTENCE.
Letters only = ZERO.

1. A mini dump truck full of abaca fiber collides with a motorcycle or

habal-habal. The velocity of the truck and the motorcycle is the same.
Which has a greater impulse? Why?
A. The mini dump truck because it has larger change in momentum.
B. The mini dump truck because it is full of abaca fiber.
C. The motorcycle because it has larger change in momentum.
D. The motorcycle because it has lesser mass.
2. A car collided with a bus that has greater mass and velocity than the car. Which of these describes
the change of momentum of the bus and the car?
A. The change of momentum of the bus is less than that of the car.
B. The change of momentum of the bus is greater than that of the car.
 C. The change of momentum of the car and the bus is the same.
D. The change of momentum of the car and the bus is zero.
3. Two marbles of equal mass are rolling towards each other. One is rolling at 7 m/sec and the other
at 10 m/sec. The one rolling faster has a________ momentum and ________ impulse. It will surely
knock the other one backwards.
A. lesser, lesser B. lesser, greater C. greater, lesser D. greater, greater
4. Which of following describes momentum?
a. Mass times its velocity. c. Force times its acceleration.
b. Force times the time interval. d. Mass times its acceleration.
5. What is the impulse of an object moving with constant momentum?
a. 0 b. 1 c. the same with momentum d. none of these
6. Two billiard balls approach each other at equal speed. If they collide in a perfectly elastic collision,
what would be their velocities after collision?
A. zero C. same in magnitude but opposite in direction
B. same in magnitude and direction D. different in magnitude and opposite in direction
7. Two marbles with a total mass of 20 kg has an initial momentum of 100 kg m/s. If the marbles
stick together after the collision, what is the final velocity of the marbles?
A. 5 m/s B. 80 m/s C. 120 m/s D. 2, 000 m/s
For nos. 8 & 9. Two 0.5 kg balls approach each other with the same speed of 2.0 m/s.
8. What is the total momentum of the system before collision?
A. 0 B.0.50 kgm/s C. 1.0 kgm/s D.-1.0 kg m/s
9. If there is no external force acting on the system, what is the total momentum of the system after
collision?
A. 0 B.0.50 kgm/s C. 1.0 kgm/s D.-1.0 kg m/s
10. The total momentum of two objects before collision is 175 kg. m/s. What will be their total
momentum after collision?
A.50 kg m/s B. 350 kg m/s C. 175 kg m/s D. not enough information

Assessment 3.4. Problem Solving. Write your answers on a 1 whole sheet of paper. Show your
solutions (given, find, solution, answer). 6 points each number.

1. If a 7.0 kg bowling ball is rolled with a velocity of 4.5 m/s, what is the momentum of the ball?
2. Calculate the momentum of a 0.29 kg of baseball being thrown at a speed of 50 m/s.
3. What is the velocity of a 2 kg ball that has a momentum of 6 kg.m/s?
4. A toy dart gun generates a dart with 0.160 kg.m/s momentum and a velocity of 7 m/s. What is
the mass of the dart in grams (g)?
5. The parking brake on a 1500 kg automobile has broken, and the vehicle has reached a
momentum of 10800 kg.m/s. What is the velocity of the vehicle?
6. A 1.5 kg bowling ball moves in an alley at 2 m/s. It collides with and sticks to a bowling pin of
mass 0.2 kg, which is stationary before collision. What is the velocity of the combined ball and pin
after collision?
7. Two football players have a head-on collision and grab onto each other’s uniforms. The 85 kg
Ram was moving at 3.5 m/s, while the 65 kg Chelsea player was moving in the opposite direction
at 5.5 m/s. What is their combined velocity after impact?
8. Two cars have a “rear end” collision. A 1400 kg Honda moving at 25 m/s strikes a 2000 kg Ford
moving at 35 m/s. Their bumpers become locked and they continue to move as one mass. What is
their final velocity?