General Physics 1

The learners demonstrate understanding of…

MELC 9
1. Center of Mass
2. Momentum
3. Impulse
Content Standard 4. Impulse-momentum relation
5. Law of conservation of momentum
6. Collisions
7. Center of mass, Impulse, momentum, and collision problems

The learners should be able to…

Performance Standard Solve, using experimental and theoretical approaches, multi-concept,
rich-content problems involving center of mass, momentum, impulse
and collisions.

This learning packet has been developed and thought up well for your learning. This will help you facilitate the difficult topic
into simpler one. The language use was simplified and easy to understand. The lessons were arrange following the standard
sequence of the course, but in this part, you are directed into one focus lesson.

Center of Mass, Momentum,

Impulse and Collisions
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Differentiate center of mass and geometric center.

2. Relate motion of center of mass of a system to the momentum and net external force acting on the
system.
3. Relate the momentum, impulse, force, and time of contact in a system.
4. Compare and contrast elastic and inelastic collisions.
5. Apply the concept of restitution coefficient in collisions.
6. Solve problems involving center of mass, impulse, and momentum in context such as, but not limited
to, rocket motion, vehicle collisions, and Ping-Pong.

Prepared by:
Jenny-Lyn M. Ramirez
Trece Martires City Senior High School

Learner’s Packet

1
Introduction:
What I Know
I. Read each problem or situation carefully, choose the correct answer and write it on your answer
sheet.
1. Which of the following is the center of mass of the ball in the figure shown?
a. Above the ball c. on the surface of the ball
b. At center of the ball d. outside the ball
2. Which of the following best describes the center of mass for a system?
a. The geometric center of the system c. the point which all gravitational forces are balanced
b. The point which all mass is equally distributed d. the point where the largest mass is located
3. The momentum of the objects depends on the objects ______.
a. Mass and energy c. speed and time
b. Mass and velocity d. size and shape
4. Which of the following is the momentum of a 500 kg vehicle moving at 15 m/s?
a. 7,500 joules c. 7,500 kg. m/s
b. 7,500 kg.m/s2 d. 7,500 N
5. A boy with a mass of 49 kg is travelling at 3.0 m/s, what is the momentum of the boy?
a. 147 joules c. 147 kg. m/s
b. 147 kg. m/s2 d. 147 N
6. Which of the following is the product of the force applied on the object times the amount of time
where the force is applied on the object?
a. collision c. momentum
b. impulse d. restitution
7. Which of the following is the product of mass of the object and its velocity?
a. acceleration c. velocity
b. speed d. momentum
8. Which of the following law states that the net momentum of an isolated system before and after the
event is the same?
a. Conservation of charge c. conservation of mass
b. Conservation of energy d. conservation of momentum
9. Which of the following collisions makes the kinetic energy remains constant?
a. Elastic collision c. perfectly elastic collision
b. Inelastic collision d. perfectly inelastic collision
10. Which of the following is the coefficient for restitution of for a perfectly elastic collision?
a. 0 c. 2
b. 1 d. 3

II. Problem Solving

11. Two-point masses m1 = 5kg and m2=8 kg is at 3
m and 9 m from the origin on X-axis. Locate
the position of center of mass of the two-point
masses (a) from the origin and (b) from 3 kg mass
12. Find the momentum o the120 kg object travelling at a speed of 18 m/s.
13. Two circular objects shown in the figure collide and stick and move together. Find final velocity objects.

V1 = 5 m/s v2 = 8 m/s

M1 = 2kg M2 = 2kg

14. The velocity of a 3 kg object is increase from 3 m/s to 5 m/s by a constant force. Determine the change
in momentum of the object.
15. A 5 kg object at rest on the floor is hit by another object with a mass of 4 kg with a velocity of 8 m/s.
Assume a perfectly elastic collision, find the velocity of the two objects.

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Activity 1: What’s In
What will be their relative velocity of the two cars when moving towards each other and when moving at the
same direction to avoid collisions.
1. If two cars moving towards each other with a constant speed. What will be their relative velocity?
2. If two cars move in the same direction with the same speed. What will be the relative velocity?

Car A Car A
6 km/hr. 6 km/hr.

Activity 2: What’s New

Analyze and calculate the problem carefully.

A 9 kg bicycle travelling with a velocity of 3 m/s crash on a 5 kg bicycle travelling in opposite direction with a
velocity of 7 m/s. Assume that they crash together and form into one as a wreck bicycle.

1. Calculate the momentum of both bicycles.

2. Calculate the momentum of the wreck bicycle.
3. What will be the velocity of the wreck bicycle after the impact, in what direction did they go?
4. Is the kinetic energy conserved in the collisions?

Before Collision After Collision

Development
What is it
Lesson 35-40: Center of Mass, Momentum, Impulse, and
Collisions
Before the pandemic we always go to school, and sometimes as we go to school, we met some road accidents;
cars colliding with other car, motorcycles, buses and sometimes jeepneys. It seems that it was hard to avoid
those accidents or we really do not learn from those accidents.
What we should do to lessen those accidents were to understand every characteristics of vehicles, like for
example if we saw a heavy or cargo truck, we know that it was not easy for it to when it runs so fast. Every
vehicle has a speed limits in expressways or in barangay roads. We only learned when we had already
experienced an accident. It seems that experience makes the best teacher.

Do you know that physics has something to do with those accidents? Does the laws of motion and principles of
energy have something to do with these collisions? What do really physics do behind the colliding objects.

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The difference between the center of gravity and center of Mass
Center of Gravity and Mass explains about the point of weight and mass
acting on the body or object to balance against the gravitational force
acting on it. When the gravitational force is not uniform the Center of
Gravity is different from Center of Mass. Mass of the body remains
constant but Center of gravity of an object varies with respect to the
gravitational force.

Center of Gravity
is defined by the weight that present in the center of the object. The
center of gravity balanced the objects depending on the gravitational force.

For example: when riding a bicycle, we maintain the balance at the center of gravity that makes us to prevent
from falling from the bicycle.

Center of Mass
Is defined as the mass of the body that does not change
with the change in gravitational force, the mass of the
body is equal in all sides of the center of mass. It was also
called as the centroid concentrated on the specific point.
In another word, center of mass is the point at which the
distribution of mass is equal in all directions, and does not
depend on gravitational field

Center of mass is a function only of the positions and masses of the particles that comprise the system.
However, the center of gravity is the point through which the force of gravity acts on an object.
Both center of mass and center of gravity have crucial applications in mechanics of materials; simplify solution
of problems of engineering mechanics

Formula for Center of Mass

The center of mass can be computed as sum of mass of part of an object times position of part of an object
divided by sum of mass of an object.
𝑚1 𝑥1 + 𝑚2 𝑥2 …
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2

Where: 𝑥𝑐𝑚 is the center of mass; 𝑚1 is the mass of object 1; 𝑥1 is the position of object 1; 𝑚1 is the mass
of object 2; 𝑥2 is the position of object.

Example problem for center of mass of two-point masses

Two-point masses 2 kg and 4 kg are at 3 m and 5 m from the origin on X-axis. Locate the position of center of
mass of the two-point masses (a) from the origin and (b) from 3 kg mass.

Solution
Let us take, m1 = 2 kg and m2= 4 kg
(a) To find center of mass from the origin:

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The point masses are at positions, x1 = 4 m,
x2 = 8 m from the origin along X axis
M
M11 M2

𝑚1 𝑥1 + 𝑚2 𝑥2
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2
2𝑥4 + 4𝑥8
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
2+4
𝑥𝑐𝑚 = 3.33 m

To find the center of mass from 2 kg mass:

The origin is shifted to 2 kg mass along X-axis. The position of 2 kg point mass is zero (x1 = 0) and the position of
4 kg point mass is 4 m from the shifted origin (x2 = 4 m).

𝑚1 𝑥1 + 𝑚2 𝑥2 M1
M2
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2
2𝑥0 + 4𝑥4
𝑥𝑐𝑚 =
2+4
𝑥𝑐𝑚 = 1.33 m

Momentum
Momentum, P is the product of the objects mass and velocity. The
faster and heavier the objects the greater momentum it has.
Therefore, it was difficult to make a stop. Strong force is needed to
stop in short time

Mathematically, momentum is

𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣

Where: p is the momentum, kg. m/s; m is the mass, kg; v is the velocity, m/s
Sample Problem
Find the momentum of a 200kg object travelling at a speed of 25 m/s.

Given: m = 200kg; v = 25 m/s unknown: p

Solution:
𝑚
𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣 = 200𝑘𝑔 ( 25 ) = 5,000 𝑘𝑔 𝑚/𝑠
𝑠

Momentum for two-dimensional motion

Momentum is a vector, therefore it can also analyze in terms of their components

𝑝𝑥 = 𝑚𝑣𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝑝𝑦 = 𝑚𝑣𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
Where: 𝑝𝑥 is the x-component of the momentum, kg. m/s; 𝑝𝑦 is the y-component of the momentum, kg.m/s;
m is the mass, kg; v is the velocity, m/s.
Impulse and Momentum
Relationship between Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion and Momentum

The momentum is related to Newton’s second law of motion when an object accelerate or decelerates, the
momentum will change.

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Let us recall that when there is a change in velocity, there is acceleration because of the net force acts on the
object. The amount of time of a net force that acts on the object will make a difference in change in momentum
of the object. Let us say that the car is at rest, if a force is applied a very small change in momentum will be
produced. But if we apply same magnitude of force over an extended period of time, a greater change in
momentum will occur. This means that in changing the momentum of the object, both force and time are
important
Applying the Newton’s Law of Motion,
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
Δ𝑣
Where: 𝑎 =
𝑡

Derived equation is
∆𝑣
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = 𝑚( ) - multiply both side by t
𝑡
We get
𝐹𝑡 = 𝑚(∆𝑣)
Where: Ft is the product of the force applied on the object times the amount of time the force is applied on the
object, this is called the impulse.

Mathematically
𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒 = 𝐹𝑡

In a collision, an object experiences a force for a specific amount of time that results in a change in momentum.
The result of the force acting for the given amount of time is that the object's mass either speeds up or slows
down (or changes direction). The impulse experienced by the object equals the change in momentum of the
object. In equation form, F • t = m • Δ v.

Impulse is formed through the total force and momentum of the object. this is another example of vector
quantity. Impulse id the product of the total force and the time in which the total force acts on the object.
Mathematically, impulse is

𝐼 = ∑𝐹𝑡

Where: ∑ 𝐹 is the net force, N; t is the time, I is the impulse, Ns

The figure below shows the relationship between force, time, impulse, and change in momentum.

The change in momentum occurs over a long The change in momentum occurs over a short
period of time. The force of impact is small period of time. The force of impact is large

Example problem
A boy applies an average force of 150 N during a kick to a ball. The kick accelerates a 0.30 kg ball from rest to a
speed of 15 m/s. What is the impulse imparted to the ball? What is the collision time?

Given: F = 150 N; m = 0.30 kg; v = 15 m/s Unknown: Impulse, time

Solution:

𝑚
1. 𝐼 = 𝑚𝑣 = 0.30𝑘𝑔 (15 𝑠 ) = 4.5 𝑁𝑠
𝐼 4.5 𝑁𝑠
2. 𝐼 = 𝐹𝑡, 𝑡 = = = 0.03 s
𝐹 150 𝑁

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Conservation of Momentum
The law of conservation of momentum states that the net momentum of an isolated system before and after
the event is the same
Net momentum before the event = net momentum after an event
𝑚1 𝑣1 + 𝑚2 𝑣2 = 𝑚1 𝑣1 ′ + 𝑚2 𝑣2 ′

Where m1 is the mass of the first object; m2 is the mass of the second object in the system; v1 and v2 are the
velocities of the first and second object respectively before the event happens, and v 1’ and v2’ are the velocities
of two objects respectively after the event.

Example Problem
A hatchback car with a mass of 900 kg is moving at 15 m/s collides with van at rest with a mass of 1,800. After
the collisions, the car moves back with a velocity of 3 m/s. What will be the final velocity of the van?

Given: m1 = 900 kg; m2 = 1,800 kg, v1 = 15 m/s; v2 = 0 m/s; v1’ = -3m/s Unknown: v2’ =?

Solution: use the law conservation of momentum

𝑚1 𝑣1 + 𝑚2 𝑣2 = 𝑚1 𝑣1 ′ + 𝑚2 𝑣2 ′
900 kg (15 m/s) + 1,800 kg (0 m/s) = 900 kg ( -3 m/s) + (1,800 kg) v2’

Re- arrange the formula to get v2’

𝑚
13,500 𝑘𝑔 ∙ + 2700 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑚/𝑠
′
𝑣2 = 𝑠 = 9 𝑚/𝑠
1,800 𝑘𝑔

Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

Collisions are classified according to the change in total kinetic energy during the collisions.
Types of Collisions
1. Elastic Collision is the total kinetic energy of the system remains constant. In other words, the total
kinetic energy of the system before collisions is equal to the total kinetic energy of the system after
collision. In a Perfectly Elastic Collision the object bounces perfectly.

𝐾𝐸𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝐾𝐸𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

2. Inelastic Collision when the total kinetic energy of the system is not the same before and after the
collision. In a completely inelastic collision, the colliding objects stick together.

𝐾𝐸𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝐾𝐸𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

Coefficient of Restitution
The coefficient of restitution (COR), also denoted by (e), is the ratio of the final to initial relative velocity between
two objects after they collide.

𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑒 =
𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑣2 ′ − 𝑣1 ′
Or 𝑒= 𝑣1 −𝑣2
For a perfectly elastic collision, e = 1, while for a perfectly inelastic collision where objects stick together,

In inelastic collisions, the coefficient is related to the kinetic energy by

𝐾𝐸𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑒= √
𝐾𝐸𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛

7
Engagement
Activity 3: What’s More
I. Solve the following problems
1. Three-point masses are attached to a rod shown in the fig. Mass 1 = 2 kg at x= 1m, mass 2 = 1kg at 2m,
and mass 3 = 1 kg at x=5m? Find the center of mass of the system?
2. The speed of a car decreases from 40 m/s to 35 m/s at 12 meters. What is the kinetic energy of the
car?
3. The velocity of a 3 kg object is increased from 4 m/s to 6 m/s by a constant force. Find the change in
momentum of the object.
4. Bryan with a of mass 68 kg “belly-flops” on a shallow pool of water from a
height of 5m. When he hits the pool, he comes to rest in about .06 s. What is
the impulse that the water and the bottom of the pool deliver to his body
during this time interval?
5. A bullet weighing 1 kg is fired with a velocity of 200 m/s from a riffle weighing 3.47 kg. Find the velocity
where the riffle recoils?

Assimilation
Activity 4: What you have learned
In this learning packet, you have learned the lessons that focused on Center of mass, momentum, impulse, and
collisions. Discuss the following.
1. What is the difference between center of gravity and center of mass?
2. What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?
3. What is coefficient of restitution mean?

Activity 5: What I can do

1. Explain impulse-momentum relationship.
2. What is conservation of momentum?
3. What are the types of collision?

Reflection
Write your personal insights about the lesson with the use of prompts below
I learned that ____________________________________________________________________________.
I realized that ____________________________________________________________________________.

References
Caintic, Helen E., PHD, General Physics 1 for senior high school, pp. 176-193

Brainkart.com, 2018-2020, Solved Example Problems for Center of Mass of Two Point Masses retrieved on
http://www.brainkart.com/article/Solved-Example-Problems-for-Center-of-Mass-of-Two-Point-Masses_34582/

Mechanical Education, (n.d.), Difference between center of gravity and center of mass retrieved on
http://www.mechanicaleducation.com/2019/05/difference-between-center-of-gravity-and-center-of-
mass.html

Softschools.com, (2005-2020) , Impulse-momentum Theorem Formula retrieved on

https://www.softschools.com/formulas/physics/impulse_momentum_theorem_formula/339/
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 26 October 2020, Coefficient of Restitution retrieved on
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coefficient_of_restitutio

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