Momentum and Its Conservation - Lesson 1 - The Impulse-Momentum Change Theorem

Momentum
 Momentum
 Momentum and Impulse Connection
 Real-World Applications
The sports announcer says, "Going into the all-star break, the Chicago White Sox have the momentum." The
headlines declare "Chicago Bulls Gaining Momentum." The coach pumps up his team at half-time, saying "You have
the momentum; the critical need is that you use that momentum and bury them in this third quarter."

Momentum is a commonly used term in sports. A team that has the momentum is on the move and is going to take
some effort to stop. A team that has a lot of momentum is really on the move and is going to be hard to stop.
Momentum is a physics term; it refers to the quantity of motion that an object has. A sports team that is on the
move has the momentum. If an object is in motion (on the move) then it has
momentum.
Momentum can be defined as "mass in motion." All objects have mass; so if an
object is moving, then it has momentum - it has its mass in motion. The amount
of momentum that an object has is dependent upon two variables: how
much stuff is moving and how fast the stuff is moving. Momentum depends upon
the variables mass and velocity. In terms of an equation, the momentum of an
object is equal to the mass of the object times the velocity of the object.
Momentum = mass • velocity
In physics, the symbol for the quantity momentum is the lower case p. Thus, the above equation can be rewritten as
p=m•v
where m is the mass and v is the velocity. The equation illustrates that momentum is directly proportional to an
object's mass and directly proportional to the object's velocity.
The units for momentum would be mass units times velocity units. The standard metric unit of momentum is the
kg•m/s. While the kg•m/s is the standard metric unit of momentum, there are a variety of other units that are
acceptable (though not conventional) units of momentum. Examples include kg•mi/hr, kg•km/hr, and g•cm/s. In
each of these examples, a mass unit is multiplied by a velocity unit to provide a momentum unit. This is consistent
with the equation for momentum.

Momentum as a Vector Quantity

Momentum is a vector quantity. As discussed in an earlier unit, a vector quantity is a quantity that is fully
described by both magnitude and direction. To fully describe the momentum
of a 5-kg bowling ball moving westward at 2 m/s, you must include
information about both the magnitude and the direction of the bowling ball.
It is not enough to say that the ball has 10 kg•m/s of momentum; the
momentum of the ball is not fully described until information about its
direction is given. The direction of the momentum vector is the same as the
direction of the velocity of the ball. In a previous unit, it was said that the
direction of the velocity vector is the same as the direction that an object is
moving. If the bowling ball is moving westward, then its momentum can be
fully described by saying that it is 10 kg•m/s, westward. As a vector quantity, the momentum of an object is fully
described by both magnitude and direction.

The Momentum Equation as a Guide to Thinking

From the definition of momentum, it becomes obvious that an object has a large momentum if both its mass and its
velocity are large. Both variables are of equal importance in determining the momentum of an object. Consider a
Mack truck and a roller skate moving down the street at the same speed. The considerably greater mass of the Mack
truck gives it a considerably greater momentum. Yet if the Mack truck were at rest, then the momentum of the least
massive roller skate would be the greatest. The momentum of any object that is at rest is 0. Objects at rest
do not have momentum - they do not have any "mass in motion." Both variables - mass and velocity - are important
in comparing the momentum of two objects.
The momentum equation can help us to think about how a change in one of the two variables might affect the
momentum of an object. Consider a 0.5-kg physics cart loaded with one 0.5-kg brick and moving with a speed of 2.0
m/s. The total mass of loaded cart is 1.0 kg and its momentum is 2.0 kg•m/s. If the cart was instead loaded with
three 0.5-kg bricks, then the total mass of the loaded cart would be 2.0 kg and its momentum would be 4.0 kg•m/s.
A doubling of the mass results in a doubling of the momentum.
Similarly, if the 2.0-kg cart had a velocity of 8.0 m/s (instead of 2.0 m/s), then the
cart would have a momentum of 16.0 kg•m/s (instead of 4.0 kg•m/s).
A quadrupling in velocity results in a quadrupling of the momentum. These two
examples illustrate how the equation p = m•v serves as a "guide to thinking" and not
merely a "plug-and-chug recipe for algebraic problem-solving."

Check Your Understanding

Express your understanding of the concept and mathematics of momentum by answering the following questions.
Click the button to view the answers.
1. Determine the momentum of a ...
a. 60-kg halfback moving eastward at 9 m/s.
b. 1000-kg car moving northward at 20 m/s.
c. 40-kg freshman moving southward at 2 m/s.

See Answer

2. A car possesses 20 000 units of momentum. What would be the car's new momentum if ...
a. its velocity was doubled.
b. its velocity was tripled.
c. its mass was doubled (by adding more passengers and a greater load)
d. both its velocity was doubled and its mass was doubled.

See Answer

3. A halfback (m = 60 kg), a tight end (m = 90 kg), and a lineman (m = 120 kg) are running down the football field.
Consider their ticker tape patterns below.

Compare the velocities of these three players. How many times greater are the velocity of the halfback and the
velocity of the tight end than the velocity of the lineman?
 Which player has the greatest momentum? Explain.
See Answer

Next Section:
 Momentum and Impulse Connection
Jump To Next Lesson:
 The Law of Action-Reaction (Revisited)
 Momentum

Activity 1: What's Happening With Momentum?
Question Group 1:
Question 1:
A car is moving eastward and speeding up. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 2:
A car is moving westward and speeding up. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 3:
A car is moving northward and speeding up. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 4:
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question Group 2:
Question 5:
A car is moving eastward and slowing down. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 6:
A car is moving westward and slowing down. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 7:
A car is moving northward and slowing down. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 8:
A car is moving southward and slowing down. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question Group 3:
Question 9:
A truck is moving eastward at a constant speed. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 10:
A truck is moving westward at a constant speed. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 11:
A truck is moving northward at a constant speed. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 12:
A truck is moving southward at a constant speed. The momentum of the car is ______.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question Group 4:
Question 13:
If the speed of a constant-mass object is increasing, then the momentum of the object is _____.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant
 Question 14:
If the speed of a constant-mass object is decreasing, then the momentum of the object is _____.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Question 15:
If the speed of a constant-mass object is remaining constant, then the momentum of the object is _____.
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant

Activity 2: Momentum Ranking Tasks

Question Group 5:
Question 16:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question 17:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.



 Question 18:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question Group 6:
Question 19:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question 20:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity. Rank
these three objects in terms of their momentum.



Question 21:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question Group 7:
Question 22:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question 23:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.
 

Question 24:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question Group 8:
Question 25:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question 26:
 The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Question 27:
The mass and velocity of three objects are shown below. The arrow represents the direction of the velocity.
Rank these three objects in terms of their momentum.


Activity 3: Getting Some Direction on Momentum

Question Group 9:
Question 28:
A car is moving eastward and speeding up. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 29:
A car is moving westward and speeding up. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 30:
A truck is moving eastward and speeding up. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 31:
A truck is moving westward and speeding up. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question Group 10:

Question 32:
A car is moving eastward and slowing down. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 33:
A car is moving westward and slowing down. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 34:
A truck is moving eastward and slowing down. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 35:
A truck is moving westward and slowing down. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question Group 11:

Question 36:
A car is moving eastward with a constant speed. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 37:
A car is moving westward with a constant speed. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 38:
A truck is moving eastward with a constant speed. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 39:
A truck is moving westward with a constant speed. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question Group 12:

Question 40:
A car is slowing down. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 41:
A car is speeding up. The direction of the car's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 42:
A truck is slowing down. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell

Question 43:
A truck is speeding up. The direction of the truck's momentum vector is ______.
a. east
b. west
c. impossible to tell
 

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