M OMENTUM!

Impulse - Momentum Theorem

Learning Outcome: use the Law of Conservation of
Momentum to analyze collisions
M OMENTUM!
Expectations
Students will be able to :
❖define and calculate the impulse of a force.
❖define and calculate the momentum of a moving object.
❖understand and apply the impulse-momentum theorem.
What is momentum?
Chapter 9 Preview
What is Momentum?
What is its definition?

How do we calculate it?

When do we use this term?

Why was this word invented?

What do we already know about it?

What do we want to know about it?

Momentum Defined

p = mv
p = momentum vector
m = mass
v = velocity vector
What is Momentum?
What is its definition?

Momentum: “quantity of motion”

-Newton

Momentum: “mass in motion”

Momentum: the product of an object’s

mass and its velocity

Momentum: It is a vector!

Momentum: is sometimes called linear momentum

What is Momentum?

How do we calculate it? If object is moving in arbitrary direction:

px = mvx
p = mv
py = mv y
What are its units? pz = mvz
(mass)(length) kgm

time s


Momentum Facts
•Momentum is a vector quantity!
• Velocity and momentum vectors point in the same
direction.
• SI unit for momentum: kg · m /s (no special name).
• Momentum is a conserved quantity (this will be proven
later).
• A net force is required to change a body’s momentum.
• Momentum is directly proportional to both mass and
speed.
• Something big and slow could have the same momentum
as something small and fast.
Momentum Examples
3 m /s 30 kg · m /s
10 kg 10 kg

Note: The momentum vector does not have to be drawn 10 times longer than the
velocity vector, since only vectors of the same quantity can be compared in this
way.

26º
5g
p = 45 kg · m /s
at 26º N of E
Equivalent Momenta

Car: m = 1800 kg; v = 80 m /s

p = 1.44 ·105 kg · m /s
Bus: m = 9000 kg; v = 16 m /s
p = 1.44 ·105 kg · m /s

Train: m = 3.6 ·104 kg; v = 4 m /s

p = 1.44 ·105 kg · m /s

continued on next slide

Equivalent Momenta (cont.)

The train, bus, and car all have different masses and
speeds, but their momenta are the same in
magnitude. The massive train has a slow speed; the
low-mass car has a great speed; and the bus has
moderate mass and speed. Note: We can only say
that the magnitudes of their momenta are equal since
they’re aren’t moving in the same direction.
The difficulty in bringing each vehicle to rest--in terms
of a combination of the force and time required--
would be the same, since they each have the same
momentum.
Momentum Examples
The cart’s change of
momentum px is

A. –20 kg m/s.
B. –10 kg m/s.
C. 0 kg m/s.
D. 10 kg m/s.
E. 30 kg m/s.
Momentum Examples
The cart’s change of
momentum px is

A. –20 kg m/s.
B. –10 kg m/s.
C. 0 kg m/s.
D. 10 kg m/s.
E. 30 kg m/s.
px = 10 kg m/s − (−20 kg m/s) = 30 kg m/s

Negative initial momentum because motion

is to the left and vx < 0.
Impulse Defined
Impulse Defined
Impulse is defined as the product force acting on
an object and the time during which the force
acts. The symbol for impulse is J. So, by
definition:

J=Ft
Example: A 50 N force is applied to a 100 kg
boulder for 3 s. The impulse of this force is J =
(50 N) (3 s) = 150 N · s.
Note that we didn’t need to know the mass of the
object in the above example.
Impulse Units
J = F t shows why the SI unit for impulse is the Newton · second. There is no special
name for this unit, but it is equivalent to a kg · m /s.

proof: 1 N · s = 1 (kg · m /s2) (s) = 1 kg · m /s

Fnet = m a shows this is equivalent

to a newton.

Therefore, impulse and momentum have the same units, which leads to a useful
theorem.
Impulse - Momentum Theorem

The impulse due to all forces acting on an object (the net force) is
equal to the change in momentum of the object:

Fnet t =  p
We know the units on both sides of the equation are the same
(last slide), but let’s prove the theorem formally:

Fnet t = (m a) t = m ( v / t) t = m  v =  p
Impulse and Momentum

Now, we define a new force-related quantity: the

impulse of a force.  
I = Ft
The impulse is the product of the net force and the
time over which it is exerted.

It is a vector quantity, having the dimensions of

force · time. SI units: N·s
Impulse and Momentum

The net force F, acting on an object of mass m,

produces an acceleration:
F = ma
Substituting that into the definition of impulse:
I = Ft = mat
Solve for at: I
at =
m
Impulse and Momentum
I
at =
m
Substitute into the kinematic equation:
I
v f = v0 + at = v0 +
m
Multiply through by m:

mv f = mv0 + I  I = mv f − mv0
Impulse and Momentum
I = mv f − mv0
Again, we have a relationship between a force-
related quantity, I, and a motion-related quantity,
mv.

We define this quantity as linear momentum:

 
p = mv SI units: kg·m/s

Note that linear momentum is a vector quantity.

Impulse and Momentum
     
I = mv f − mv0 = p f − p0 = p
The above relationship is called the impulse-
momentum theorem: the impulse of a net force
acting on an object is equal to the resulting
change in its linear momentum.
   
I = p f − p0 = p
Impulse - Momentum Example
A 1.3 kg ball is coming straight at a 75 kg soccer player at 13 m/s who
kicks it in the exact opposite direction at 22 m/s with an average force
of 1200 N. How long are his foot and the ball in contact?

answer: We’ll use Fnet t =  p. Since the ball

changes direction,  p = m  v = m (vf - v0)
= 1.3 [22 - (-13)] = (1.3 kg) (35 m/s)
= 45.5 kg · m /s. Thus, t = 45.5 / 1200
= 0.0379 s, which is just under 40 ms.

During this contact time the ball compresses substantially and then
decompresses. This happens too quickly for us to see, though.
This compression occurs in many cases, such as hitting a baseball
or golf ball.
Example 2. A Well-Hit Ball

A baseball (m=0.14kg) has initial velocity of v0=-38m/s

as it approaches a bat. The bat applies an average
force F that is much larger than the weight of the
ball, and the ball departs from the bat with a final
velocity of vf=+58m.
(a) Determine the impulse applied to the ball by the bat.
(b) Assuming time of contact is t =1.6*10-3s, find the
average force exerted on the ball by the bat.

26
 (a)
J = mv f − mv0
= (0.14kg)(58m / s) − (0.14kg)(−38m / s)

= +13.4 kg.m/s

J 13.4kg.m / s
F= = = +8400 N
(b)
−3
t 1.6  10 s

27
Example 2. A Rain Storm

Rain comes straight down with velocity of v0=-

15m/s and hits the roof of a car
perpendicularly. Mass of rain per second that
strikes the car roof is 0.06kg/s.
Assuming the rain
comes to rest upon
striking the car
(vf=0m/s), find the
average force exerted
by the raindrop.
28
 mv f − mv0 m
F= = −( )v 0
t t

F = -(0.06kg/s)(-15m/s)=0.9
N
According to action-reaction law, the
force exerted on the roof also has a
magnitude of 0.9 N points downward: -
0.9N

29
Conservation of Momentum in 1-D
Whenever two objects collide (or when they exert forces on each other without
colliding, such as gravity) momentum of the system (both objects together) is
conserved. This mean the total momentum of the objects is the same before and
after the collision.

(Choosing right as the + direction, m2

before: p = m1 v1 - m2 v2
has - momentum.)
v1 v2
m1 m2

m1 v1 - m2 v2 = - m1 va + m2 vb
after: p = - m1 va + m2 vb

va vb
m1 m2
Directions after a collision
On the last slide the boxes were drawn going in the opposite direction after colliding.
This isn’t always the case. For example, when a bat hits a ball, the ball changes
direction, but the bat doesn’t. It doesn’t really matter, though, which way we draw the
velocity vectors in “after” picture. If we solved the conservation of momentum equation
(red box) for vb and got a negative answer, it would mean that m2 was still moving to
the left after the collision. As long as we interpret our answers correctly, it matters not
how the velocity vectors are drawn.
v1 v2
m1 m2

m1 v1 - m2 v2 = - m1 v’1 + m2 v’2
V’1 V’2
m1 m2

m1 v1 + m2 v2 = m1 v’1 + m2 v’2
Sample Problem 1
35 g
7 kg
700 m/s
v=0
A rifle fires a bullet into a giant slab of butter on a frictionless surface.
The bullet penetrates the butter, but while passing through it, the bullet
pushes the butter to the left, and the butter pushes the bullet just as hard
to the right, slowing the bullet down. If the butter skids off at 4 cm/s
after the bullet passes through it, what is the final speed of the bullet?
(The mass of the rifle matters not.)

35 g
7 kg
v=? 4 cm/s
continued on next slide
Sample Problem 1 (cont.)
Let’s choose left to be the + direction & use conservation of
momentum, converting all units to meters and kilograms.
35 g
p before = 7 (0) + (0.035) (700) 7 kg
700 m/s
= 24.5 kg · m /s v=0

35 g p after = 7 (0.04) + 0.035 v

7 kg
v=? 4 cm/s = 0.28 + 0.035 v

p before = p after 24.5 = 0.28 + 0.035 v v = 692 m/s

v came out positive. This means we chose the correct

direction of the bullet in the “after” picture.
Sample Problem 2
35 g
7 kg 700 m/s
v=0
Same as the last problem except this time it’s a block of wood rather than
butter, and the bullet does not pass all the way through it. How fast do
they move together after impact?

v
7. 035 kg

(0.035) (700) = 7.035 v v = 3.48 m/s

Note: Once again we’re assuming a frictionless surface, otherwise there
would be a frictional force on the wood in addition to that of the bullet,
and the “system” would have to include the table as well.
42.18 m
1. A 30.00 kg mass falls from a height of 2.000 m. The
momentum of the mass just before it hits the ground is

A. 144.2 kg m/s.
B. 187.8 kg m/s.
C. 320.0 kg m/s.
D. 442.4 kg m/s.
E. 502.1 kg m/s.
2. A 3.000 kg ball is pitched with a kinetic energy of 20.00
Joules. Then the momentum of the ball is

A. 7.500 kg m/s.
B. 8.350 kg m/s.
C. 9.450 kg m/s.
D. 10.95 kg m/s.
E. 12.50 kg m/s.
3. If the momentum of a ball is doubled, then the kinetic
energy is

A. 0.5 times larger.

B. 2 times larger.
C. 3 times larger.
D. 4 times larger.
E. 5 times larger.
4. A 4.00 kg ball is traveling at 5.00 m/s and strikes a wall.
The 4.00 kg ball bounces off the wall with a
velocity of 4.0 m/s. The change in momentum of the ball is

A. 8.0 kg m/s.
B. 13 kg m/s.
C. 26 kg m/s.
D. 30 kg m/s.
E. 36 kg m/s.
5. A machine gun fires 60.0 gram bullets at 6 bullets a
second. If the velocity of the bullets is 600 m/s, then
the average force on the machine gun is

A. 67.0 N.
B. 75.0 N.
C. 94.0 N.
D. 109 N.
E. 216 N.
6. A rifle fires a bullet. Immediately after the bullet is fired, which of the
following is NOT true?

A. the rifle and the bullet have the same magnitude of momentum
B. the force on the rifle due to the bullet and the force on the bullet due to
the rifle have the same
magnitude
C. the impulse on the rifle due to the bullet and the impulse on the bullet
due to the rifle have the same
magnitude
D. the rifle and the bullet do not have the same kinetic energy
E. the rifle and the bullet have the same kinetic energy
7. A 140 gm baseball with a velocity of 25.0 m/s is hit by a
baseball bat and leaves at 30.0 m/s in the
opposite direction. If the ball was in contact with the bat
for 12.0 ms, what is the average force on the
ball?

A. 750 N
B. 642 N
C. 550 N
D. 482 N
E. 366 N
8. Two objects of equal mass hit a wall with the same velocity. They both
rebound with the same velocity.
Both objects experience the same momentum change but one experiences
twice the force as the other.
Which of the following statements is true?

A. the contact time between the object and the wall of one is twice the
contact time of the other
B. the contact time between the object and the wall of one is equal to the
contact time of the other
C. the contact time between the object and the wall of one is one-half the
contact time of the other
D. the change in the kinetic energy is the same for the two objects
E. the contact time between the object and the wall of one is 1/3 the
contact time of the other
9. A rocket with a mass of 500 grams is launched straight
up. It achieves a velocity of 20.0 m/s in 2.00
seconds. The average thrust force of the engines on the
rocket is

A. 7.50 N.
B. 9.90 N.
C. 12.0 N.
D. 13.5 N.
E. 20.0 N
10. A 3.0 kg object is moving to the right at 4.0 m/s. It
collides in a perfectly inelastic collision with a 6.0 kg
object moving to the left at 2.0 m/s. What is the total
kinetic energy after the collision?

A. 62 J
B. 25 J
C. 12 J
D. 0.0 J
11. A 90. kg person is sitting in a boat at rest with a mass
of 100 kg. In the boat is a stone with a mass of 5.00
kg. The person throws the stone at 4.00 m/s horizontally in
the NORTH direction. The velocity of the
person and the boat after the throwing of the stone is

A. 2.00 m/s NORTH.

B. 1.21 m/s SOUTH.
C. 1.21 m/s NORTH.
D. 0.11 m/s SOUTH.
E. 0.11 m/s NORTH.
12. A 4.00 kg ball is moving at 4.0 m/s to the right and a
6.00 kg ball is moving at 3.00 m/s to the left. The
total momentum of the system is

A. 16 kg m/s to the right.

B. 2.0 kg m/s to the right.
C. 2.0 kg m/s to the left.
D. 18 kg m/s to the left.
E. 34 kg m/s to the left.
13. A 4.00 kg ball is moving at 2.00 m/s to the WEST and a
6.00 kg ball is moving at 2.00 m/s to the
NORTH. The total momentum of the system is

A. 21.6 kg m/s at an angle of 17.7 degrees NORTH of WEST.

B. 14.4 kg m/s at an angle of 45.2 degrees SOUTH of WEST.
C. 21.6 kg m/s at an angle of 45.2 degrees SOUTH of WEST.
D. 14.4 kg m/s at an angle of 56.3 degrees NORTH of WEST.
E. 21.6 kg m/s at an angle of 56.3 degrees NORTH of WEST.
14. An astronaut in a space suit is motionless in outer
space. The propulsion unit strapped to her back ejects
some gas with a velocity of 50 m/s. The astronaut recoils
with a velocity of 1.0 m/s. If the mass of the
astronaut and space suit after the gas is ejected is 120 kg,
the mass of the gas ejected is

A. 1.0 kg.
B. 1.9 kg.
C. 2.4 kg.
D. 3.00 kg.
E. 3.6 kg.
15. A 100 kg mass is blown apart into a 90.0 kg piece and a
10.0 kg piece. After the blast, the two masses are
moving apart with a relative velocity of 100 m/s. The
velocity of the 10.0 kg mass after the explosion is
90.0 m/s. The total kinetic energy of the two masses after
the explosion is

A. 63,200 J.
B. 45,000 J.
C. 30,400 J.
D. 23,400 J.
E. 4,500 J.
16. An open box-car has a mass of 30,000 kg and is moving
on a level railroad track at 4.00 m/s. 1,000 kg of
water falls straight down into the box-car. The velocity of
the box-car after the water falls into the box-car is

A. 7.01 m/s.
B. 6.55 m/s.
C. 5.02 m/s.
D. 3.87 m/s.
E. 2.89 m/s.
Types of Collisions
In an elastic collision, momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
▪ Perfectly elastic collisions occur on a microscopic level.
▪ In macroscopic collisions, only approximately elastic collisions actually
occur.
▪ Generally some energy is lost to deformation, sound, etc.
▪ These collisions are described by the isolated system model for both
energy and momentum.
▪ There must be no transformation of kinetic energy into other types of energy within
the system.
In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved, although momentum is
still conserved.
▪ If the objects stick together after the collision, it is a perfectly inelastic
collision.

Section 9.4
17. A 4.0 kg object is moving at 5.0 m/s NORTH. It strikes
a 6.0 kg object at rest. The objects have an
elastic collision and move in the NORTH or SOUTH
direction. The velocity of the 4.0 kg object after the
collision is

A. 1.0 m/s NORTH.

B. 4.0 m/s NORTH.
C. 1.0 m/s SOUTH.
D. 4.0 m/s SOUTH.
E. 0 m/s.
18. A 4.00 kg object is moving at 3.00 m/s WEST. It strikes
a 6.00 kg that is moving WEST at 2.00 m/s. The
objects have a one-dimensional elastic collision in the
EAST-WEST direction. The velocity of the 4.00
kg object after the collision is

A. 1.00 m/s WEST.

B. 2.80 m/s EAST.
C. 1.80 m/s WEST.
D. 2.80 m/s WEST.
E. 1.80 m/s EAST.
19. Two objects collide and stick together. Which of the
following is false?

A. momentum is conserved
B. kinetic energy is lost
C. kinetic energy is conserved
D. momentum is lost
20. A 1200 kg car is moving at 5.0 m/s EAST. It strikes an
1800 kg car at rest. The cars have an elastic
collision and move in the EAST or WEST direction. The
velocity of the 1800 kg car after the collision is

A. 3.0 m/s WEST.

B. 1.0 m/s EAST.
C. 4.0 m/s EAST.
D. 4.0 m/s WEST.
E. 1.0 m/s WEST.
21. A ball collides with a second ball at rest. After the
collision, the first ball comes to rest and the second
ball moves off at the speed of the first ball. In this collision

A. total momentum is not conserved.

B. total kinetic energy is not conserved.
C. total momentum is conserved but total kinetic energy is
not conserved.
D. total momentum is not conserved but total kinetic
energy is conserved.
E. total momentum and total kinetic energy are conserved
and the masses are equal.
22. A 1200 kg car travels at 25.0 m/s and collides head-on
in a perfectly inelastic collision with a stationary
2400 kg truck. The kinetic energy lost in the collision is

A. 330,000 J.
B. 250,000 J.
C. 125,000 J.
D. 95,000 J.
E. 75,000 J.
23. A 4.00 kg object is moving at 5.00 m/s NORTH. It
strikes a 6.00 kg object that is moving WEST at 2.00
m/s. The objects have a completely inelastic (stick
together) collision. The velocity of the 4.00 kg object
after the collision is

A. 2.54 m/s at an angle of 35.0 degrees NORTH of WEST.

B. 1.93 m/s at an angle of 59.0 degrees NORTH of WEST.
C. 1.93 m/s at an angle of 45.0 degrees NORTH of WEST.
D. 2.33 m/s at an angle of 59.0 degrees NORTH of WEST.
E. 2.33 m/s at an angle of 45.0 degrees NORTH of WEST.
24. A 4.00 kg object is moving at 5.00 m/s EAST. It strikes
a 6.00 kg that is at rest. The objects have an
elastic collision. The velocity of the 4.00 kg object after the
collision is at an angle of 30.0 degrees
SOUTH of EAST. The velocity of the 4.00 kg mass after
the collision is

A. 5.78 m/s.
B. 4.56 m/s.
C. 3.55 m/s.
D. 1.67 m/s.
E. 2.66 m/s.
25. In any collision

A. total momentum is not conserved.

B. total kinetic energy is conserved.
C. total momentum is conserved.
D. total momentum is not conserved but total kinetic
energy is conserved.
E. total momentum and total kinetic energy are conserved
and the masses are equal
More About Impulse
Impulse is a vector quantity.
The magnitude of the impulse is equal
to the area under the force-time curve.
▪ The force may vary with time.
Dimensions of impulse are M L / T
Impulse is not a property of the particle,
but a measure of the change in
momentum of the particle.

Section 9.3
Impulse, Final

The impulse can also be found by using

the time averaged force.

I =  Ft
This would give the same impulse as
the time-varying force does.

Section 9.3
Collisions – Characteristics
The term collision represents an event during which two particles come close to
each other and interact by means of forces.
▪ May involve physical contact, but must be generalized to include cases with
interaction without physical contact
The interaction forces are assumed to be much greater than any external forces
present.
▪ This means the impulse approximation can be used.

Section 9.4
Collisions – Example 1
Collisions may be the result of direct
contact.
The impulsive forces may vary in time
in complicated ways.
▪ This force is internal to the system.
▪ Observe the variations in the active
figure.
Momentum is conserved.
Collisions – Example 2

The collision need not include physical

contact between the objects.
There are still forces between the
particles.
This type of collision can be analyzed in
the same way as those that include
physical contact.

Section 9.4
Types of Collisions
In an elastic collision, momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
▪ Perfectly elastic collisions occur on a microscopic level.
▪ In macroscopic collisions, only approximately elastic collisions actually
occur.
▪ Generally some energy is lost to deformation, sound, etc.
▪ These collisions are described by the isolated system model for both
energy and momentum.
▪ There must be no transformation of kinetic energy into other types of energy within
the system.
In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved, although momentum is
still conserved.
▪ If the objects stick together after the collision, it is a perfectly inelastic
collision.

Section 9.4
Collisions, cont.

In an inelastic collision, some kinetic energy is lost, but the objects do not stick
together.
Elastic and perfectly inelastic collisions are limiting cases, most actual collisions
fall in between these two types .
Momentum is conserved in all collisions

Section 9.4
Perfectly Inelastic Collisions

Momentum of an isolated system is

conserved in any collision, so the total
momentum before the collision is equal
to the total momentum of the composite
system after the collision.
Since the objects stick together, they
share the same velocity after the
collision.
m1v1i + m2 v 2i = ( m1 + m2 ) vf

Section 9.4
Elastic Collisions

Both momentum and kinetic energy are

conserved.
m1v1i + m2 v 2 i =
m1v1f + m2 v 2f
1 1
m1v12i + m2 v 22i =
2 2
1 1
m1v12f + m2 v 22f
2 2
Typically, there are two unknowns to
solve for and so you need two
equations.

Section 9.4
Elastic Collisions, cont.
The kinetic energy equation can be difficult to use.
With some algebraic manipulation, a different equation can be used.
v1i – v2i = v1f + v2f
This equation, along with conservation of momentum, can be used to solve for
the two unknowns.
▪ It can only be used with a one-dimensional, elastic collision between two
objects.
▪ Using this equation eliminates the need for using an equation with quadratic
terms (from the kinetic energy equation).
Remember to use the appropriate signs for all velocities.

Section 9.4
Elastic Collisions, final
Example of some special cases:
▪ m1 = m2 – the particles exchange velocities
▪ When a very heavy particle collides head-on with a very light one initially at
rest, the heavy particle continues in motion unaltered and the light particle
rebounds with a speed of about twice the initial speed of the heavy particle.
▪ When a very light particle collides head-on with a very heavy particle initially
at rest, the light particle has its velocity reversed and the heavy particle
remains approximately at rest.

Section 9.4