Impulse
Definition
Impulse refers to the change in momentum of an object when a force is applied to it for a certain amount of time. It is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the time interval over which the force acts.
Analogy
Imagine you are playing catch with a friend using a tennis ball. If your friend catches the ball gently, it will have less impulse and will not cause much change in your friend's hand motion. However, if your friend catches the ball with a strong force, it will have more impulse and can cause your friend's hand to move backward.
Related terms
Momentum: Momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity. It represents how difficult it is to stop or change the motion of an object.
Conservation of Momentum: This principle states that in a closed system where no external forces act, the total momentum before an event is equal to the total momentum after the event.
Collisions: Collisions occur when two objects interact with each other for a short period of time. They can be classified as elastic (kinetic energy is conserved) or inelastic (kinetic energy is not conserved).
"Impulse" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Additional resources (2)
Practice Questions (7)
An object that started from rest has an impulse of 10 Ns when it slides off the edge of a frictionless table. What is this object’s velocity sliding off the table if its mass is 10kg?
An object gained an impulse of 10 Ns by a force of 5 newtons. How many seconds did the force act on the object?
What is the equation for the impulse on a system?
What is impulse?
The diagram depicts Before and After velocities of an 800-kg car in two different collisions with a wall. In case A, the car rebounds upon collision. In case B, the car hits the wall, crumples up and stops. Assume that the collision time for each collision is equal. In which case does the car experience the greatest impulse?
A student conducts an experiment and creates a graph of Force (N) vs. Time (s). How would the student be able to find the impulse of the object from the graph?
A pitcher throws a baseball to the catcher. The catcher catches the ball and brings it to a stop. Ignoring the flight through the air, the baseball encounters two different impulses - the one imparted to it by the pitcher and the one imparted to it by the catcher. How do these two impulses compare?
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