Momentum
Definition
Momentum is a property of moving objects that depends on both their mass and velocity. It describes how difficult it is to stop an object in motion.
Analogy
Imagine a bowling ball rolling towards a set of pins. The momentum of the ball is like its "bowling power." The heavier and faster the ball, the harder it is to stop or change its direction.
Related terms
Impulse: Impulse is the change in momentum of an object when a force acts upon it for a certain amount of time.
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.
Elastic Collision: An elastic collision occurs when two objects collide and bounce off each other without any loss of kinetic energy.
"Momentum" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Study guides (2)
Additional resources (4)
Practice Questions (11)
- A 5kg object going 6 m/s bumps into a 5 kg object at rest. After the collision, the object at rest gains 15 kgm/s of momentum. What is the final velocity of the original object?
- Momentum is an indication of...
- Which of the following equations correctly illustrates how to find momentum (p)?
- Momentum is defined as...
- Momentum is conserved when...
- An archer shoots an arrow at a pumpkin on a stand. The arrow bounces off the pumpkin and both fly off of the stand in different directions. Momentum is conserved and Ki = Kf. What type of collision has occurred?
- An archer shoots an arrow at a pumpkin on a stand. The arrow bounces off the pumpkin and both fly off of the stand in different directions. Momentum is conserved and Ki > Kf. What type of collision has occurred?
- An archer shoots an arrow at a pumpkin on a stand. The arrow embeds itself into the pumpkin and both fly off of the stand at the same velocity. Momentum is conserved. What is the relationship between the initial and final kinetic energy for this collision?
- An archer shoots an arrow at a pumpkin on a stand. The arrow embeds itself into the pumpkin and both fly off of the stand at the same velocity. Momentum is conserved. What type of collision has occurred?
- How should you find the x-component of an object with momentum p, where theta is drawn with respect to the horizontal?
- How should you find the y-component of an object with momentum p, where theta is drawn with respect to the horizontal?
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