Momentum

Front

What is momentum?

Back

Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity, representing the quantity of motion an object has.

Front

What is the formula for calculating momentum?

Back

p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.

Front

What are the units of momentum?

Back

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

Front

How does mass affect momentum?

Back

The greater the mass of an object, the greater its momentum, assuming velocity remains constant.

Front

How does velocity affect momentum?

Back

The greater the velocity of an object, the greater its momentum, assuming mass remains constant.

Front

If a 0.5 kg object is moving at 3 m/s, what is its momentum?

Back

p = mv = 0.5 kg * 3 m/s = 1.5 kg m/s.

Front

Which has more momentum: a 2 kg object moving at 1 m/s or a 1 kg object moving at 2 m/s?

Back

Both have the same momentum: p = 2 kg * 1 m/s = 2 kg m/s and p = 1 kg * 2 m/s = 2 kg m/s.

Front

What is the relationship between momentum and collisions?

Back

In a closed system, the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision (law of conservation of momentum).

Front

What is an elastic collision?

Back

An elastic collision is one in which both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

Front

What is an inelastic collision?

Back

An inelastic collision is one in which momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not.