Topic 2: Mechanics

2.4 – Momentum and impulse

Essential idea: Conservation of momentum is an
example of a law that is never violated.
Nature of science: The concept of momentum and the
principle of momentum conservation can be used to
analyse and predict the outcome of a wide range of
physical interactions, from macroscopic motion to
microscopic collisions.
Topic 2: Mechanics
2.4 – Momentum and impulse
Understandings:
• Newton’s second law expressed in terms of rate of
change of momentum
• Impulse and force – time graphs
• Conservation of linear momentum
• Elastic collisions, inelastic collisions and explosions
Topic 2: Mechanics
2.4 – Momentum and impulse
Applications and skills:
• Applying conservation of momentum in simple isolated
systems including (but not limited to) collisions,
explosions, or water jets
• Using Newton’s second law quantitatively and
qualitatively in cases where mass is not constant
• Sketching and interpreting force – time graphs
• Determining impulse in various contexts including (but
not limited to) car safety and sports
• Qualitatively and quantitatively comparing situations
involving elastic collisions, inelastic collisions and
explosions
Topic 2: Mechanics
2.4 – Momentum and impulse
Guidance:
• Students should be aware that F = ma is the
equivalent of F = Δp / Δt only when mass is constant
• Solving simultaneous equations involving conservation
of momentum and energy in collisions will not be
required
• Calculations relating to collisions and explosions will
be restricted to one-dimensional situations
• A comparison between energy involved in inelastic
collisions (in which kinetic energy is not conserved)
and the conservation of (total) energy should be
made
Topic 2: Mechanics
2.4 – Momentum and impulse
Data booklet reference:
• p = mv
• F = Δp / Δt
• EK = p 2 / (2m)
• Impulse = F Δt = Δp

Theory of knowledge:
• Do conservation laws restrict or enable further
development in physics?
 Newton’s second law
expressed in terms of rate
of change of momentum

☞
What is Momentum??

“Inertia in Motion”
 Which has more Momentum??

20000 kg

10 m/s
2 kg

Why?
10 m/s
 2 kg

35 m/s
2 kg

Why?
10 m/s
 Linear Momentum
Linear momentum is defined as:
The product of mass and velocity of an object.

p=mv
The units of momentum are: kgms-1.
It is a vector quantity.

☜ ☞
Linear momentum is different from
angular momentum
 Force and Momentum
Newton’s 2nd Law can be stated as:

The rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to

the resultant force acting on the body.

Therefore it is clear that when a force acts upon a

body over a period of time, a change of momentum
occurs and hence an acceleration. This is only true
for constant mass.

☜ ☞
 KE and Momentum
p = mv
EK = (1/2)mv 2

From p = mv we obtain v = p / m. Then, substituting, we

get

EK = (1/2) m (p / m)2
= mp 2 / (2m2)
= p 2 / (2m)
Rocket Engine Equation
F = Δp / Δt
is only true for constant mass.

For a rocket travelling at average

velocity, we can use
F = ( Δm / Δt )v
 Try This…
A rocket engine consumes fuel and
oxidizer at a rate of 275 kg s-1 and
used a chemical reaction that gives
the product gas particles
an average speed of
1250 ms-1. Find the thrust produced
by this engine.
Impulse and force –
time graphs

☞
 Impulse
How can we decrease the force acting on an object?
 Impulse
We define a new quantity

Force
called impulse J as the F
average force times the time. t
∆t

Forc
This amounts to the area t

e
under the force vs. time graph.

Since F = Δp / Δt we see that F ∆t = Δp and so we can

interpret the impulse as the change in momentum of the
object during the collision.

J = F ∆t = Δp = area under F vs. t graph

 Impulse
The impulse is the same in both cases but the force is
different
 What if the force isn’t constant?
Remember how we found
13 work done by a varying force?
12
11
10
9
8
Force (N)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (s)
 Which impulse is larger?
13
12
11
10
9
8
Force (N)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (s)
The force matters!
 Concept Check
You jump off a table. When you land on the floor
you bend your knees in order to…

a) Decrease the impulse on you by the floor

b) Decrease the force applied to you by the floor
c) Increase the time it takes to stop
d) Both a and b
e) Both b and c
f) All of the above
 Slapshot!
A hockey puck has a mass of 0.115 kg. A player
takes a slap shot which exerts a force of 31.0 N for
0.15 sec. How fast will the puck be moving?
 Try This…
The 440 newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, was successfully fired
for a duration of 3.968 seconds on September 22, 2014. This operation of the spacecraft's main liquid
engine was also used for the spacecraft's trajectory correction and changed its velocity by 2.18 m/s.
What was the mass of the spacecraft at the time of this engine firing?
 Direction Matters
u Assume u is 30 m s-1 to the left
and v is 10 m s-1 to the right.
v What is the change in velocity?
 Try This…
A 500 g baseball moves to the left at 20 m s-1 striking a bat.
The bat is in contact with the ball for 0.002 s, and it leaves
in the opposite direction at 40 m s-1. What was average
force on ball?

20 m s-1

m = 0.5 kg
Conservation of linear
momentum

☞
 Warm Up
What is the truck’s velocity after the collision?
7g
Conservation of Linear Momentum
The Law of Conservation of Momentum states
that:

During any interaction where no external forces act,

the total linear momentum is conserved, in any
specified direction.

Therefore, the total momentum before a

collision (pbefore) equals the total momentum
after a collision (pafter)

☜ ☞
 Proof
∙Recall Newton’s second law (p-form):
Fnet = Δp / Δt
∙If the net force acting on an object is zero, we have
Fnet = Δp / Δt
0 = Δp / Δt
0 = Δp
∙In words, if the net force is zero, then the momentum
does not change – p is constant.

If Fnet = 0 then p = CONST

FYI ∙If during a process a physical quantity does not

change, that quantity is said to be conserved.
 Newton’s Third Law
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction
 Newton’s Third Law
While driving down the road, a firefly strikes the windshield of a bus and makes a
quite obvious mess in front of the face of the driver. This is a clear case of
Newton's third law of motion. The firefly hit the bus and the bus hits the firefly.

Which of the two forces is greater: the force on the firefly or the force on the
bus?
Momentum in One Dimension
Questio
n
Two gliders move
towards each other.
The gliders collide
and move apart
after impact. Glider
1 rebounds at 3ms-1.

Calculate the
rebound velocity of Click Here For
Glider 2. Answer

☜ ☞
Momentum in One Dimension
ANSWER

Click Here to Return to

Slides
 Momentum in Two
Dimensions
Collisions don’t always take place in one
dimension.

Momentum is a vector and is conserved.

Thus:

an
d

☜ ☞
 Momentum in Two
Questio ADimensions
stationary ball of mass 12kg,
n is hit by a ball of 5kg, moving
at 14ms-1.

Calculate the speed of the two balls, v and

u, after the collision.

☜ Click Here For

Answer ☞
Momentum in Two Dimensions
ANSWER
x component y component

Solve these two simultaneous

equations

Click Here to Return to

Slides
 Elastic collisions,
inelastic collisions and
explosions

☞
 Collisions
A collision is an event in which a relatively strong force
acts on two or more bodies for a relatively short time.

A system
boundary is the
“Before” “area of interest”
system
phase used by physicists
boundary in the study of
complex processes.
“During”
phase
A closed system
has no work done
“After” on its parts by
phase external forces.
 Hit and Bounce #1
10 m s-1 0 m s-1
8 kg 2 kg

2 m s-1 v
8 kg 2 kg
 Hit and Bounce #2

8 m s-1 -4 m s-1 -5.5 m s-1 v

12 kg 18 kg 12 kg 18 kg

Before After
 Hit and Stick

4 m s-1 0 m s-1
v
12 kg 18 kg
Before After
 Elastic vs Inelastic
Elastic Inelastic

Kinetic Energy Kinetic Energy

is conserved is not conserved
 Elastic Collisions
There are very few
collisions in real life
where kinetic energy
is not lost as sound
or heat; however,

An elastic collision is
when kinetic energy
is conserved in a
collision.

☜ ☞
 Inelastic Collisions
Momentum is conserved
in all collisions,
assuming no external
forces apply; however,
kinetic energy is not.

An inelastic collision is
when kinetic energy is
lost during a collision
When bodies stick together
and converted into after a collision, it is totally
inelastic.
other types of energy. Max possible Ek is lost.

☜ ☞
In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not
conserved (it does change). Thus EK,f ≠ EK,0.

EXAMPLE:
A baseball and a hard wall colliding in such a way that
the speed of the ball changes.
 Try This…
A railcar of mass 8340 kg travelling at 14.3 m s-1 collides with another railcar of
mass 6420 kg travelling at 8.78 m s-1 in the same direction. If after the collision the
two truck become joined together, what is their resulting velocity?

Compare the total Kinetic Energy before and after:

Completely Inelastic Collision
In a completely inelastic collision the colliding bodies
stick together and end up with the same velocities, but
different from the originals. EK,f ≠ EK,0.

EXAMPLE:
Two objects colliding and sticking together.

u1 v u2 v
∙The train cars hitch and move as one body…

∙The cars collide and move (at first) as one body…

 Elastic or Inelastic?
Questio Two billiard balls collide as
n shown:

The red ball recoils at 5ms-1.

Show by calculation whether the collision

is elastic or inelastic.

☜ Click Here For

Answer
 Elastic or Inelastic?
ANSWER
Find recoil velocity of blue
ball.

Ek before collision Ek after collision

The collision is INELASTIC

Click Here to Return to

Slides
 Explosions
An explosion is similar to a completely inelastic collision in that the
bodies were originally stuck together and began with the same
velocities. EK,f ≠ EK,0.

☞
In an explosion, an internal impulse acts in order to propel the parts of a
system (often a single object) into a variety of directions. After the explosion,
the individual parts of the system (that is often a collection of fragments from
the original object) have momentum. If the vector sum of all individual parts
of the system could be added together to determine the total momentum
after the explosion, then it should be the same as the total momentum
before the explosion. Just like in collisions, total system momentum is
conserved.
In the exploding cannon demonstration, total system momentum is
conserved. The system consists of two objects - a cannon and a
tennis ball. Before the explosion, the total momentum of the system is
zero since the cannon and the tennis ball located inside of it are both
at rest. After the explosion, the total momentum of the system must
still be zero. If the ball acquires 50 units of forward momentum, then
the cannon acquires 50 units of backwards momentum. The vector
sum of the individual momenta of the two objects is 0. Total system
momentum is conserved.
Grade Gorilla 2.4 Momentum & Impulse