Momentum

You are in a dilemma of experiencing unfortunate events at the moment. Two

vehicles approaching are about to hit you. Fortunately a fairy Godmother
showed in front of you and grant you a limited wish. The fairy asked you to
choose between the slow moving truck or the fast moving car which will hit you.
Which one will you choose?

v = 1 m/s v = 100 m/s

100 times heavier than m = 1000 kg
the car
 Momentum
⚫ A massive truck is harder to stop than a small
car when travelling at the same speed.

⚫ We say the truck has more momentum than the

car

mass
 Momentum
⚫ A fast moving car is harder to stop than a car of
the same mass moving in a slow speed.

⚫ We say the fast moving car has more

momentum than the slow moving car

velocity
 Momentum
⚫ Inertia in motion
⚫ It’s the product of mass times velocity
p = mv
⚫ Units: (kg) x (m/s) = kg·m/s
⚫ Momentum is a technical term for something we
already know!
⚫ If a truck and a car are going the same speed, it’s harder to stop the
truck.
⚫ The greater mass of the truck gives it more momentum than the car.
⚫ A bullet fired from a gun has more penetrating power than one
thrown by hand.
⚫ Even though they have the same mass, the first bullet has more
momentum due to its higher velocity.
 Momentum

⚫ By the definition of momentum, we can

see that an object can have a large
momentum if it either has large mass or
large velocity.
Which vehicle has more momentum?

Truck
p = mv  (100000 kg) x (1 m/s) = 100000 kg·m/s
Car
p = mv  (1000kg) x (100m/s) = 100000 kg·m/s
Which vehicle will cause more injury?

Truck Car
p = 100000 kg·m/s p = 100000 kg·m/s
 Impulse Force
⚫ If the momentum of an object changes,
either the speed, mass or both will
change.
⚫ If the mass is unchanged, then it must of
been the velocity that changed, this would
indicate some sort of acceleration
 Impulse Force
⚫ What produces the acceleration? FORCE

⚫ The greater the force on an object, the

greater the acceleration, the greater the
change in momentum.
 Impulse Force
⚫ Time is also important, how long is the
force applied?

⚫ Supply a force for a long period of time,

greater change in momentum.

⚫ Supply a force for a short period of time,

small change in momentum.
 Change in Momentum

⚫ For one of these objects, Newton’s First Law gives

F = ma  a = F/m
⚫ If we use the average acceleration for this case
aavg = v/t
⚫ then
v/t = Favg/m  mv = Favgt
⚫ Looking at the left side of this equation
mv = m(vf – vi) = mvf – mvi
= pf – pi = p
 Impulse-Momentum Theorem
⚫ Therefore, the average force times the
time interval over which it acts is equal to
the change in momentum.
p = Favgt
⚫ We call Favgt the impulse that acts on an object.

⚫ Units: (force) x (time) = N·s

⚫ Are N·s equal to kg·m/s?
⚫ Do dimensional analysis to find out.
 Impulse Force

impulse = change in momentum

or
 
Ft = P
“force multiplied by the time during
which it acts equals change in
momentum.”
Which vehicle will cause more injury?

NO CHANCE TO LIVE AT ALL!

 Impulse, Day-to-Day
⚫ Like momentum, you already understand how this idea
works, now you have a scientific name for it!

⚫ If a constant net force acts on an object (say a box is

pulled along a slippery floor); the longer you apply the
force, the greater will be the change in the object’s
speed.

⚫ Similarly, if you apply a force to an object for a specific

amount of time (say a push on a swing), the greater the
force, the greater will be the change in the object’s
speed.
Case 1 – Increasing Momentum
⚫ To increase the momentum of an object,
need to exert as larger force possible on
that object.

⚫ A golfer and baseball player do this by

“following through” when hitting the ball.
Case 1 – Increasing Momentum
⚫ The force in an impulse are generally not
constant.
⚫ A golf club strikes a ball exerts zero force
on the ball until it strikes it. The force
increases rapidly as the golf club and the
ball distort. The force then diminishes as it
comes up to speed and retains its original
shape.
 Case 2 – Decreasing Momentum
over a Long Time
⚫ If you were travelling in a car that was out
of control, you wouldn’t have to use to
much physics to understand that hitting a
haystack will better for the occupants than
hitting a concrete wall.

⚫ Why?
 Case 2 – Decreasing Momentum
over a Long Time
⚫ Impulse means the product of force and
time. When hitting the haystack the force
is reduced and the time increased.
⚫ When hitting the concrete wall the time is
reduced and the force increased.
 Case 2 – Decreasing Momentum
over a Long Time

⚫ Notice the change in momentum is the

same in both cases.
 Case 2 – Decreasing Momentum
over a Long Time
⚫ If the boxer is able to make the duration of
the impact five times as long by riding with
the punch, by how much will the force of
impact (impulse) be reduced?
 Case 3 – Decreasing Momentum
over a Long Period of Time
⚫ If the change in momentum happens over
a short time, the impact force is large.
⚫ Airbags in cars help to prevent this!!
 Conservation of Momentum
⚫ Consider a rifle firing a bullet. The force
that pushes on the bullet is the equal and
opposite to the force that recoils the rifle
(Newton’s 3rd Law).
 Conservation of Momentum

⚫ The total momentum before firing the

bullet is zero as both the rifle and bullet
are stationary.
 Conservation of Momentum

⚫ After the rifle is fired, the Net Momentum is

still ZERO. No net momentum is gained
and no net momentum is lost.
 Conservation of Momentum

⚫ Momentum is a vector quantity, this

means that direction is important.
⚫ Although both rifle and bullet gain
momentum, it is in opposite directions.
 Conservation of Momentum

⚫ The addition of these momentums still

result to ZERO as the initial momentum is
zero.
 Conservation of Momentum

⚫ The Law of Conservation of Momentum

In the absence of an external force, the

momentum of a system remains
unchanged.
 3 Types of Collisions
⚫ Elastic

⚫ Inelastic

⚫ Perfectly Inelastic
 Elastic or Inelastic?

An elastic collision loses In an inelastic collision,

no energy. The deform- energy is lost and the
ation on collision is fully deformation may be
restored. permanent. (Click it.)
Elastic
⚫A collision in which two objects
move separately with different
velocities, but not permanent
deformation
Inelastic
⚫ A collision in which two objects
deforms so that the objects move in
the same direction but with different
final velocities after colliding.
Perfectly Inelastic
⚫A collision in which two
objects stick together and
move with the same velocity
after colliding.
 Why does Mr Stickfigure on the ice
move backwards?
Before Collision After Collision

-p +p

p = -5 kgm/s p = 5 kgm/s

Momentum = zero (not moving) Momentum = zero

ptotal = 0kgm/s ptotal = 5kgm/s + (-5kgm/s)
ptotal = 0kgm/s
 Conservation of Momentum
⚫ A big fish catching a little fish.
 Conservation of Momentum
⚫ A 2 Kg brick dropped on a 1 Kg cart.
 Key Concepts
Elastic “Starts from rest” Vi = 0m/s
“Stops” Vf = 0m/s

m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f Perfectly Inelastic

Inelastic
m1v1i + m2v2i = (m1+ m2)vf

m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f

 Momentum Vectors
⚫ Momentum is conserved even when
colliding objects move at an angle to each
other.
 Problem Solving 1
⚫ A 50.0kg girl jumps into a 100kg raft at rest on the water. If
the velocity of the girl is 4.00m/s as she jumps, what is the
final velocity of the girl and the raft?
Before After
1st Draw a Picture G
G
R R
mG = 50.0kg mR = 100kg mG = 50.0kg mR = 100kg
VG = 4.00m/s VR = 0m/s Vf = ?
 Problem Solving 2
⚫ A 63.0kg astronaut throws a 5.0kg hammer in a direction away from
the shuttle with a speed of 18.0m/s, pushing the astronaut back to the
shuttle. Assuming that the astronaut and hammer start from rest, find
the final speed of the astronaut after throwing the hammer.
-90kgm/s +90kgm/s
Before After
1st Draw a Picture
A H A H
mA = 63.0kg mH = 5.0kg mA = 63.0kg mH = 5.0kg
VA = 0m/s VH = 0m/s VA = ? VH = 18m/s
 Problem Solving 3
• A 15.0kg cart moving to the right with a speed of 2.0m/s collides with
a 6.5kg cart moving to the left with a speed of -4.0m/s. Find the final
speed of the first cart if the new velocity the second car is 1m/s.
st
Before After
1 Draw a Picture
1 2 1 2
m1 = 15.0kg m2 = 6.5kg m1 = 15.0kg m2 = 6.5kg
V1 = 2.0m/s V2 = -4.0m/s Vf = ? V2 = 1m/s
 Momentum Vectors
⚫ A falling fire cracker exploding into 2
pieces. The momenta of the fragments
combine by vector rules to equal the
original momentum of the falling fire
cracker.
 Concept Summary
⚫ Momentum of an object is product of
mass and velocity.
⚫ The change in momentum depends on the
force that acts and on the length of time it
acts.
⚫ Impulse is force multiplied by the time
duration which it acts.
⚫ The impulse exerted on something is equal to
the change in momentum it produces.
 Concept Summary
⚫ According to the law of conservation of
momentum, momentum is conserved
when there is no external net force.
⚫ When objects collide in the absence of
external forces momentum is conserved.