Chapter 8

Momentum and Collisions

v1

m1
F 21

F 12

m2

v2

F I G U R E 8.1Two particles interac t

with each other. Accordin g
to Newton’s third law, we must have
: :
F 12 F 21.
FIGURE 8.2 (Example 8.2) An
archer fires an arrow horizontally.
Because he is standing on frictionless
ice, he will begin to slide across the
ice.
 Before
Κ0 decay
(at rest)

p– p+

π– π+

After decay
F I G U R E 8.3 (Example 8.3) A kaon at rest
decays into a pair of oppositely charged pions.
The pions move apart with momenta of equal
magnitudes but opposite directions.
 F

t
ti tf
(a)
F

Favg

Area = Favg ∆t
t
ti tf
(b)

F I G U R E 8.4 (a) A net force acting

on a particle may vary in time. The
impulse is the area under the curve of
the magnitude of the net force versus
time. (b) The average force
(horizontal dashed line) gives the same
impulse to the particle in the time
interval t as the time-varying force
described in part (a). The area of the
rectangle is the same as the area
under the curve.
 (Courtesy of Saab)

F I G U R E 8 .5
A test dummy is brought
to rest by an air bag in an automobile.

Before

–15.0 m/s

After

+2.60 m/s
(Tim Wright/CORBIS)

(a) (b)
F I G U R E 8.6
(Example 8.4) (a) The car’s momentum changes as a result of its collision with the wall. (b) In a crash test, the
large force exerted by the wall on the car produces extensive damage to the car’s front end.
F21 F12
m1 m2

(a)

p
+

++
4 He

(b)

F I G U R E 8.7(a) A collision between

two objects as the result of direct
contact. (b) A “collision” between two
charged particles that do not make
contact.
 Before collision

m1 m2
v1i v2i
(a)

After collision

vf
m1 + m2
(b)
Figure 8.8
A perfectly inelastic head-on
collision between two
particles: (a) before the
collision and (b) after the
collision.
 Before collision
v1i v2i
m1 m2

(a)

After collision
v1f v2f

(b)

Figure 8.9
An elastic head-on collision between
two particles: (a) before the collision
and (b) after the collision.
 v1i = (4.00î) m/s v2i = (–2.50î) m/s v1f = (3.00î) m/s v2f

k k
m1 m2 m1 m2

x
(a)

(b)

F I G U R E 8.10 (Example 8.8) A moving block collides with another moving block with a spring attached: (a) before the
collision and (b) at one instant during the collision.
 v1f
v1f sin θ

v1f cos θ
m1
v1i θ
φ
v2f cos φ
m2
–v2f sin φ
v2f
Figure 8.11
(a) Before the collision (b) After the collision
A glancing collision between two particles.
 y
vf

(25.0î) m/s
θ
x

(20.0ĵ) m/s

F IGURE 8.12 (Example 8.10) An

eastbound car colliding with a
northbound van.
CM

(a)

Figure 8.13
Two particles of unequal mass are
CM
connected by a light, rigid rod.
(a) The system rotates clockwise
when a force is applied between
(b) the less massive particle and the
center of mass. (b) The system
rotates counterclockwise when a
force is applied between the more
massive particle and the center of
CM mass. (c) The system moves in the
direction of the force without
rotating when a force is applied at
(c) the center of mass.
 y

∆mi

CM
ri
rCM
x

F I G U R E 8.15 An extended object

can be modeled as a distribution of
small elements of mass mi . The
center of mass of the object is located
at the vector position :r CM, which has
coordinates x CM, y CM, and z CM.

A
B
Center of
mass

FIGURE 8.16 An experimental

technique for determining the center
of mass of a wrench. The wrench is
hung freely from two different pivots,
A and C. The intersection of the two
vertical lines AB and CD locates the
center of mass.
F I G U R E 8.17 (Quick Quiz 8.5) A baseball bat cut at the location of
its center of mass.

y
4m

h
CM
2m
x
O m
d b

F I G U R E 8.18
(Example 8.11) Locating
the center of mass for a system of three
particles.
 y
dm

c b
y
dx
x
O x
a

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 8.19(Example 8.12) (a) A triangular sign to be hung from

a single wire. (b) Geometric construction for locating the center of
mass.
 F I G U R E 8.20 Strobe photograph showing an
(Richard Megna, Fundamental Photographs)

overhead view of a wrench moving on a horizontal

surface. The center of mass of the wrench
(marked with a white dot) moves in a straight line
as the wrench rotates about this point. The
wrench moves from left to right in the photograph
and is slowing down due to friction between the
wrench and the supporting surface. (Note The
decreasing distance between the white dots.)
 F I G U R E 8.22 (Example 8.13) When a projectile
explodes into several fragments, where does the center
of mass of the fragments land?

F I G U R E 8.21(Thinking Physics 8.1) A boy takes a

step in a canoe. What happens to the canoe?
 (© Bill Stormont/The Stock Market)

Figure Q8.13 Firefighters attack a burning

house with a hose line.
 3M
M

Before

(a)

v 2.00 m/s

3M
M

After

(b)

Figure P8.5
 F (N)
F = 18 000 N

20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
t (ms)
0 1 2 3

Figure P8.7

60.0˚

60.0˚

Figure P8.9

Figure P8.11
A m1

5.00 m

m2
B C

Figure P8.16

m
M
v v/2

Figure P8.18

5.00 m/s 3.00 m/s –4.00 m/s

4.00 kg 10.0 kg 3.00 kg

Figure P8.22
 Figure P8.23

y y (cm)

30

20

10

x (cm)
10 20 30

Figure P8.33
 H

0.100 nm

53°
O

53°

0.100 nm

Figure P8.34 Figure P8.35