Conservation of Linear Momentum, Collisions

If no forces act on a particle, its momentum cannot change; hence, its velocity cannot change.
Let us consider colliding billiard balls. Let the force that ball 2 applies to ball 1 at the moment of
G
G
the collision be F12 and the force that ball 1 applies to ball 2 be F21 . We can then calculate the
impulse on and the change in momentum of each ball, using

2
G
G
p1 = F12 t
G
G
and p2 = F21t

G
G
where p1 and p2 are the change in momentum of balls 1 and 2 respectively. The time for which

the forces act is t . From Newtons third law, these forces are equal and opposite:

or

G
G
F12 = F21
G
G
F12 + F21 = 0

Multiplying this by t gives

G
G
F12 t + F21t = 0
G
G
or p1 + p2 = 0
G G G
If we define the total momentum as the sum of the individual momenta of each ball, p = p1 + p2 ,

then the above equation can be written as follows:

G
p = 0

If the balls are considered as one system, the change in the total momentum is zero. We can
generalize this to the system of any number of particles:
The total momentum of an isolated system never changes.
This is called the Law of Conservation of Momentum.
It is important to note that

G
p = 0 is a vector equation.

Momentum is only conserved for an isolated system.

If there is an external force, then the momentum can change, and the change will be
equal to the impulse of the external force.

For a two-particle system, the Law of Conservation of Momentum can be written in

G
G
G
G
symbols: p1 f + p2 f = p1i + p2i

If kinetic energy is conserved in a collision, the collision is called elastic. If kinetic energy is not
conserved, then the collision is inelastic. If the objects stick together after the collision, then this
results in the greatest loss of kinetic energy, and the collision is said to be perfectly inelastic.
Please remember that the momentum is always conserved, whether the collision is elastic,
inelastic, or perfectly inelastic.