UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

IMPULSE
AND
MOMENTUM
Intended learning outcome/s:

Solve problems involving impulse and

momentum

Impulse and Momentum 2

Momentum
Momentum refers to the quantity of motion that an object has.
Also referred to as “mass in motion”, “mass on the move”.

Momentum is defined as the product of the object’s mass and its velocity.
Every object that has mass and is moving has momentum.

𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣
Momentum is a vector quantity. Its direction is the same as the direction
of the object’s velocity

𝑝Ԧ = 𝑚𝑣Ԧ
Linear Momentum 3
The unit of momentum is

𝑘𝑔 𝑚/𝑠
When a force acts on the object and changes its velocity, its
momentum changes. The change in momentum is

∆𝑝 = 𝑝2 − 𝑝1
∆𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣1
∆𝑝 = 𝑚(𝑣2 − 𝑣1 )
Linear Momentum 4
What causes momentum to change?
Newton originally stated his 2nd law of motion in terms of
momentum, in the form of
𝑑𝑝Ԧ Δ𝑝Ԧ
෍ 𝐹Ԧ = =
𝑑𝑡 Δ𝑡

𝑝2 − 𝑝1
𝐹=
𝑡2 − 𝑡1

𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ) = 𝑝2 − 𝑝1

𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ) = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣1

Impulse 5
 𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ) = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣1
The left side of the above equation is called Impulse,

𝐽 = 𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 )
Impulse is the product of the force exerted on an object and the time
interval in which such force acts on the object.

In vector form, impulse is

𝐽Ԧ = 𝐹(𝑡
Ԧ 2 − 𝑡1 )

The unit of impulse is N.s or Kg m/s.

Impulse-momentum 6
 𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ) = 𝑚𝑣2 − 𝑚𝑣1

𝐹(𝑡2 − 𝑡1 ) = 𝑝2 − 𝑝1

𝐽Ԧ = 𝑝Ԧ2 − 𝑝Ԧ1

Impulse causes momentum to change, and the relation is called

the Impulse-Momentum theorem.

Impulse-Momentum Theorem 7
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Conservation of Linear Momentum
The concept of momentum is particularly important in situations
where we have two or more interacting objects.

An example of this interaction is collision.

Momentum Conservation 11
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The Principle of Conservation of Linear Momentum

“If two objects collide, then the total momentum before and after collision
will be the same if there are no external forces acting on the colliding
objects.”

If only internal forces act on the system, then the total linear momentum
of the system is conserved.

𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴2 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵2

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Types of Collisions

Collision 14
Collision 15
Example 1

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Solution Example 1

In the problem, the direction of the

pitched ball is not specified, so we can
choose the initial direction. We can use
either to the left or to the right.

If I choose the direction of the pitched

ball to be to the right, then the direction
of the batted ball will be to the left, the
opposite direction

This choice makes the velocity of the

pitched ball as positive and for the
batted ball negative.

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 Solution Example 1

The batted ball’s velocity is the final velocity and the pitched ball’s velocity is the initial
velocity. Here, the change in momentum is negative. If we have chosen the pitched ball’s
velocity to be initially to the left, we would have gotten a positive answer. But then, the
problem only asks for the magnitude of the change of momentum, so the signs are not
significant.
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Solution Example 1

To find the average force applied by the bat

on the ball, we will use the impulse-
momentum theorem.

Express impulse in terms of force and time

interval. The time interval is 2.00 milliseconds
or 0.002 seconds.

Solving for F we get – 7,250 N. Again, the

negative sign indicates the direction of the
force. Since we only need the magnitude, the
sign could either be positive or negative,
depending on our choice of initial direction.

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Example 2

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 Solution Example 2

The initial momentum of puck B is zero because it is initially at rest before collision. The
final momentum of puck A is negative because its velocity after collision is to the left.

To solve for the velocity of puck A before collision, we divide equation 2 with the mass
of puck A to get to equation 3.

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 Solution Example 2

Our result (positive velocity) shows that puck A is initially moving to right toward puck B
before collision.

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 Solution Example 2

I invite you to calculate the change in kinetic energy of the system during collision
and submit your solution next meeting.

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