Momentum, Impulse, and Collisions

Front

What is impulse?

Back

Impulse is the change in momentum of an object when a force is applied over a period of time. It is equal to the product of the average force and the time duration over which it acts.

Front

What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

Back

The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it. This means that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

Front

How is momentum calculated?

Back

Momentum (p) is calculated using the formula: p = mass (m) × velocity (v).

Front

What happens to momentum when the speed of an object is doubled?

Back

When the speed of an object is doubled, its momentum also doubles, since momentum is directly proportional to velocity.

Front

What is the relationship between force and impulse?

Back

Impulse is equal to the change in momentum, which can also be expressed as the product of force and the time duration over which the force acts: Impulse = Force × Time.

Front

What is the formula for calculating impulse?

Back

Impulse (J) can be calculated using the formula: J = Δp = F × Δt, where Δp is the change in momentum, F is the average force, and Δt is the time duration.

Front

What is the effect of a net force on an object's momentum?

Back

A net force acting on an object causes a change in its momentum. The greater the force and the longer it acts, the greater the change in momentum.

Front

In a perfectly elastic collision, what happens to momentum and kinetic energy?

Back

In a perfectly elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

Front

In an inelastic collision, what happens to momentum and kinetic energy?

Back

In an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not conserved; some kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy.

Front

What is the unit of momentum?

Back

The unit of momentum is kilogram meter per second (kg m/s).