MOMENTUM, IMPULSE, COLLISIONS,

AND CENTER OF MASS

Prerequisites: Kinematics, Newton’s Laws, Work, Energy

1 Momentum and Impulse

• Momentum or linear momentum is the product of mass and velocity

p
~ = m~
v (1)
px = mvx py = mvy pz = mvz (2)

• Impulse is the product of the net force and the time interval over which the net force acts

J~ = ΣF
~ ∆t (3)
for non-constant net force, Z t2
J~ = ~ dt
ΣF (4)
t1

1.1 Newton’s Second Law and Momentum

We can write down Newton’s second law of motion in terms of momentum, p
~

~= d~
p
ΣF (5)
dt
From Newton’s second law, we can also derive the conservation of momentum which states that if
there are zero external forces on a system (an isolated system), the total momentum of the
system is conserved.

1.2 Impulse-Momentum Theorem

The change in a particle’s momentum during a time interval equals the impulse of the net force that
acted on the particle during that interval. The momentum of a particle equals the impulse that
accelerated it from rest to its present speed.

J~ = p~2 − p~1 (6)

2 MOMENTUM CONSERVATION AND COLLISIONS

Collision is any strong interaction between bodies that lasts a relatively short time.

• Elastic collision is a collision wherein the total kinetic energy of the system is the same before
and after the collision.

1
 • Inelastic collision is a collision in which the total kinetic energy after the collision is less than
before the collision.

• Completely inelastic collision is an inelastic collision in which the colliding bodies stick
together and move as one body after the collision.

NOTE: In any collision in which external forces can be ignored, momentum is conserved and the
total momentum before equals the total momentum after; in elastic collisions only, the total kinetic
energy before equals the total kinetic energy after.

EXAMPLES:

1. You throw a ball with a mass of 0.40 kg against a brick wall. It is moving horizontally to the
left at 30 m/s when it hits the wall; it rebounds horizontally to the right at 20 m/s. (a) Find
the impulse of the net force on the ball during its collision with the wall. (b) If the ball is
in contact with the wall for 0.010 s, find the force that the wall exerts on the ball during the
impact.

2. A marksman holds a rifle of mass mR = 3.00 kg loosely, so it can recoil freely. He fires a bullet
of mass mB = 5.00 g horizontally with a velocity relative to the ground of vBx = 300 m/s.
What is the recoil velocity vRx of the rifle? What are the final momentum and kinetic energy
of the bullet and rifle?

3. A ballistic pendulum is a simple system used for measuring a bullet’s speed. A bullet of mass
mB makes a perfectly inelastic collision with a block of wood of mass mW which is suspended
like a pendulum. After the impact, the block of wood swings up to a maximum height h. In
terms of h, mB , and mW , what is the initial speed vB1x of the bullet?

4. A 1000-kg car traveling north at 15 m/s collides with a 2000-kg truck traveling east at 10 m/s.
The occupants, wearing seat belts, are uninjured, but the two vehicles move away from the
impact point as one. The insurance adjustor asks you to find the velocity of the wreckage just
after impact. What is your answer?