1

LINEAR MOMENTUM AND

COLLISONS
i. Able to explain and state the relation between linear
momentum and the Newtons Second Law of motion.
ii. Able to state the Principle of Conservation of Linear
Momentum.
iii. Able to describe and analyze elastic and inelastic
collision in one dimension problems.
iv. Able to describe and analyze impulse in a collision.
v. Able to apply the conservation of energy and momentum
in solving collision problems.
2
Linear momentum,
the product between mass and velocity.
vector quantity.
Equation :


The S.I. unit : kg m s
-1

The direction of the momentum is the same as the direction
of the velocity.
p

v m p

=
3
For closed system, the law of conservation of linear
momentum states that
if the net external force acting on the system is zero,
the total linear momentum of a system is constant




0

0

0
- 0

constant
net
f i
f i
f i
F
p
t
p
p p
p p
p p
=
A
=
A
A =
=
=
=

The total of initial momentum = the total of final momentum
4
Example 1:



Figure above shows an object A of mass 200 g collides head-on with
object B of mass 100 g. After the collision, B moves at a speed of 2
m s
-1
to the left. Determine the velocity of A after collision.
Solution :
1
s m 6

=
A
u
A
B
1
s m 3

=
B
u

=
f i
p p

B B A A B B A A
v m v m u m u m + = +
( )( ) ( )( ) ( ) ( )( ) 2 0.100 0.200 3 0.100 6 0.200 + = +
A
v
1
s m 3.5

=
A
v
1
s m 6 ; kg 0.100 ; kg 0.200

= = =
A B A
u m m
1 1
s m 2 ; s m 3

= =
B B
v u
to the left
5
Collision
Elastic Inelastic
Collision in which kinetic energy (as
well as momentum) is conserved
Collision in which kinetic
energy is not conserved
1 2
2 2
m v
1 1
m v
Collision Elastic Inelastic
Momentum
Kinetic
energy
Completely
collision


f i
A B A B
A B A B
p p
m u m u m v m v
=
+ = +

( )


f i
A B
A B A B
p p
m u m u m m v
=
+ = +

( ) ( )

2 2 2 2

1 1

2 2
f i
A A B B A A B B
KE KE
m u m u m v m v
=
+ = +
( ) ( )


2 2 2 2


1 1

2 2
f i
f loss i
A A B B loss A A B B
KE KE
KE KE KE
m u m u KE m v m v
<
+ =
+ + = +
( )
- -
B A B A
u u v v =
Example 2:
Two bodies of masses 8 kg and 4 kg move along the x-axis in
opposite directions with velocities of 11 ms
-1
in the positive x-direction
and 7 ms
-1
in the negative x-direction respectively and collide head
on. Determine the speed and direction of each after impact if
a) they stick together
b) the collision is perfectly elastic.
Ans: 5 m s
-1
(to the right), V
1
= - 1 m s
-1
(to the left), V
2
= 17 m s
-1
(to the right)
7
Impulse,
is defined as the product of a force, F and the time, t OR
the change of momentum.
is a vector quantity whose direction is the same as the
constant force on the object.
SI unit: N s or kg m s
-1
Impulse momentum theorem:



Relation between kinetic energy and the magnitude of
momentum:
J

-
n e t
J F t p m v m u = A = A =
The impulse exerted on a body is equal
to the change in the bodys momentum
( )
2
2
2

1 1 1

2 2 2
m v
p
KE m v
m m
= = =
8
A 0.20 kg tennis ball strikes the wall horizontally with a speed of 100 m
s
1
and it bounces off with a speed of 70 m s
1
in the opposite direction.
a. Calculate the magnitude of impulse delivered to the ball by the
wall,
b. If the ball is in contact with the wall for 10 ms, determine the
magnitude of average force exerted by the wall on the ball.
Solution :
Example 3:
Wall (2)
1
1
s m 100

=
1
u
1
1
s m 70

=
1
v
0 = =
2 2
u v
kg 0.20
1
= m
9
Solution :
a. From the equation of impulse that the force is constant,







Therefore the magnitude of the impulse is 34 N s.

b. Given the contact time,
1 2
p p dp J = =
( )
1 1 1
u v m J =
( ) ( ) | | 100 70 0.20 = J
s N 34 = J
s 10 10
3
= dt
dt F J
av
=
( )
3
10 10 34

=
av
F
N 3400 =
av
F
10








An estimated force-time curve for a tennis ball of mass 60.0 g struck by
a racket is shown in figure above. Determine
a. the impulse delivered to the ball,
b. the speed of the ball after being struck, assuming the ball is
being served so it is nearly at rest initially.
Example 4:
0.2 1.8
( ) ms t
0
( ) kN F
1.0
18
11
Solution :

a. From the force-time graph,






b. Given the balls initial speed,
graph under the area t F J =
( ) ( )
3 3
10 18 10 0.2 1.8
2
1
=

J
s N 14.4 = J
0 = u
( ) u v m dp J = =
( )( ) 0 10 60.0 14.4
3
=

v
1
s m 240

= v
kg 10 60.0
3
= m