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PHYSICAL SCIENCE
MODULE 13-14

I. TITLE: MASS, MOMENTUM, AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

II. INTRODUCTION:
The study of physics is centered on matter and energy. Everything that is covered in physics involves mass,
momentum, and energy conservation. The universe is composed of matter and energy. One of the properties of
matter is that it has mass or energy or both. These are the concepts that Albert Einstein carefully and logically thought
of.
In this lesson, you will learn about matter and energy. Specifically, you will learn about mass, momentum, and
energy conservation.

III. OBJECTIVES:
1. Define mass;
2. Explain the concept of momentum;
3. Apply the law of conservation of momentum in solving one-dimensional collision problems ;

IV. PRE-TEST
IDENTIFICATION: Write the word that correspond to your answer on a separate sheet.

Change in momentum Mass weight kg.m/s

linear momentum Energy force kg.m/s2
conservation of momentum total momentum Velocity m/s2

1. It is the measure of the actual material present in a body.

2. It is the gravitational force that acts on the material, and depends on where the object is located.
3. It refers to a measure of its tendency to continue in motion along a straight path.
4. The product of the mass, m, and the change in velocity.
5. It states that the net momentum of an isolated system before and after an event is the same.
6. It cannot be created nor destroyed; it may be transformed from one form to another, but the total amount
remains the same.
7. To change the momentum of an object, either the mass or the ___________is changed or both are changed.
8. If a mass is at rest, what must be applied to cause it to move?
9. In any collision(crash). The __________________ is ALWAYS constant.
10. What is the standard unit of momentum?

V. DISCUSSION:
Mass, Weight, and Inertia
 Often times you hear people use the terms mass and weight interchangeably. When a person is asked to give his
weight, he normally specifies the value in kilograms, a mass unit. In physics there is a distinction between the two.
The bag of rice in Figure 1.0 does not weigh 1 kg. It has a mass of 1 kg and a weight of about 10 N on Earth.

Mass and Inertia

 Recall that inertia is the resistance of a body to change its state of rest or uniform motion. To illustrate the concept,
consider a boulder and a small piece of rock, which are resting on a smooth flat surface (see Figure 1.1). You know
that the boulder has a larger mass than a small piece of rock and is more difficult to move. Here you see that the
mass of an object is a measure of inertia.

Mass and Weight

 Mass is more fundamental than weight. It is the measure of the actual material present in a body. Mass depends
only on the number and kind of atoms that compose the body. On the other hand, the weight of the body is the
gravitational force that acts on the material, and depends on where the object is located. There is a very close
relationship between mass and weight and it is important to understand it.
 In the case of an object near or on the surface of Earth, the force which gravity exerts on it is its weight. This is the
force that causes an object to fall with a constant acceleration g, called the acceleration due to gravity, when no

1|P a g e SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL // Revised by: Mrs. Geraldine Figueras PHYSICAL SCIENCE // MODULE 13-14
 other force acts on it. The value of g is 9.8 m/s 2. In Newton’s second law of motion, F=ma , W may be substitute for
F and g for a to give
W =mg

 Like other forces, weight is measured in newtons. If a body falls freely, its weight gives it an acceleration of g .
 Taking g= 10 m/s2 near the surface of Earth, the weight of 1kg mass is
m
W =1 kgx 10 2
=10 N
s

 Likewise, a 2kg mass has a weight of 20 N, a 3kg mass, 30 N, and so forth. A body of greater mass has a greater
resistance to acceleration. But a bigger gravitational force also acts on it. In the same place on Earth they all fall
freely with the same acceleration. Because g=W /m, this suggests that weight is directly proportional to mass.
 The mass of a body is a measure of its inertia. It does not vary with location. It mass on Earth is the same as its mass
on the Moon or in space. On the other hand, the weight of a body, W=mg, is the gravitational force acting on it and
it varies from place to place. The value of g at the North or South Pole is 9.83 m/s 2 and 9.78 m/s2 at the equator. On
the moon g is 1.6 m/s2.

Sample Problem 1:
Find the weight of 50 kg sack of rice.
Given: mass of sack or rice= 50 kg
Required to find: weight of the sack of rice
Solution: W=mg
W= 50 kg ( 10 m/s2)= 500 N

Momentum
 You learned that the mass of an object is a measure of its inertia at rest. You learned also that the more mass of an
object has, the greater its tendency to stay at rest. For a moving object, there is a corresponding quantity called
inertia in motion. This quantity, also referred to as its linear momentum, is a measure of its tendency to continue in
motion along a straight path.
 Based on our daily experiences, you know that the greater the linear momentum a body has, the greater the effort
needed to change its path or to stop it from moving. Linear momentum is the quantity that measures the tendency
of a body to continue in motion along a straight path. Linear momentum, p, is defined as the product of the mass,
m, of an object and its velocity, v.
 Its mathematical form is, p = mv. The unit of momentum is kilogram meter per second (kg m/s). The greater the
mass and the velocity, the more difficult it is to change the object’s speed or direction. It should be noted that
momentum is a vector quantity which has both magnitude and direction. If you are to compare a small car and a
bus, both moving at the same speed, which will be easier to stop, the small car or bus? From experience we know
that it will be easier to stop a small car than to stop a bus since given the same velocity, the bus has a greater
momentum because it is more massive than a small car.
 To change the momentum of an object, either the mass or the velocity is changed or both are changed. However, it
is often the case that the mass remains unchanged, in which case the velocity changes. Change in momentum
therefore, is the product of the mass, m, and the change in velocity, ∆ v or in equation form, it is written as
∆ p=m ∆ v
 The application of a net force cause acceleration. The greater the net force applied on an object, the greater will be
the change in velocity, and hence, the change in momentum.

Sample Problem 2:
A bowling ball has a mass of 2 kg. Find its change in momentum if it changes in speed from 10 m/s to 20 m/s.
Given: m=2 kg
m
v1 =10
s
m
v 2=20
s
Required to find: change in momentum, ∆ p
m m
Solution: ∆ p=m ∆ v=2 kg 20 −10 =20 kg
s s (
m
s )
Conservation of Momentum
 In collision, momentum is conserved. It means that before, during, and after collision, the total momentum of the
system of the colliding objects is unchanged. So, in any collision,
2|P a g e SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL // Revised by: Mrs. Geraldine Figueras PHYSICAL SCIENCE // MODULE 13-14
 Total momentumbefore collision=Total momentum after collision
 In applying this equation, direction is important. It must be remembered that momentum is a vector quantity.
When the momentum does not change, momentum is conserved. The concept of conservation of momentum
when no external force acts on the system is elevated to central law of mechanics. This is called the law of
conservation of momentum. It states that the net momentum of an isolated system before and after an event is
the same.
 In mathematical form,
Net momentum before an event=net momentum after an event
 An event can either be a collision or an explosion where the isolated system is not acted upon by external forces.
For two colliding objects, the formula will be rewritten as
m1 v 1+ m2 v 2=m1 v '1 +m2 v '2
where , m 1=mass of first object
m2=mass of second object
v1 =velocity of first object before collision
v 2=velocity of second object before collision
'
v1 =velocity of first object after collision
'
v 2=velocity of second object after collision

Sample Problem 3:
A ball with a mass of 1 kg moves with a velocity of 5 m/s. This ball collides with a second ball of mass 0.5 kg moving
along the same line at a velocity of 2 m/s. After collision, the velocity of the second ball is 2.5 m/s. Find the velocity of
the first ball.
Given: m1=1 kg
m2=0.5 kg
m
v1 =5
s
2m
v 2=
s
' m
v 2=2.5
s
Required to find: v'1
Solution: m 1 v 1+ m2 v 2=m1 v '1 +m 2 v '2

( )
m
s
m
( )
1 kg 5 +0.5 kg 2 =1kg ( v '1 ) + 0.5 kg
s (
2.5 m
s )
Assuming that the directions of their velocities are the same

Conservation of Energy
 It is important to be able to state what energy is. But it is more important to understand how it behaves. Nearly all
processes and changes that occur in nature can be understood in terms of the energy transformation they undergo
from one form to another.
 Consider the case of a slingshot. When the stone is drawn back work is done in stretching the rubber band. The
rubber band acquires potential energy in the process. When the stone is released it gains kinetic energy which is
equal to the potential energy acquired by the rubber band when it is stretched. This energy acquired by the fruit or
the fence doesn’t quite match the kinetic energy of the stone. The energy score doesn’t balance but the target and
the stone both get a bit warmer due to the impact between them. The difference in energy during the process is
due to the energy change from one form to another. It transforms without any net loss or net again.
 The transformation of various forms of energy from one another led to one of the greatest generalization in physics
–the law of conservation of energy. It states that:
 Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it may be transformed from one form to another, but the total amount
remains the same.
 The atoms that make up matter are themselves concentrated bundles of energy. When the nuclei of atoms
rearrange themselves enormous amounts of energy can be released. The Sun shines because some of its internal
energy are being released and transformed into radiant energy. Powerful gravitational forces in the deep interior of
the Sun crush the cores of hydrogen atoms together to form helium atoms.
 This process releases energy, some of which reach the Earth. Part of this energy falls on plants which later become
coal. Another part supports life in the food chain that begins with plants, a part of which later becomes oil. Part of
this energy from the Sun causes the evaporation of water from the ocean, part of which returns to Earth as rain
that may be trapped behind a dam. By virtue of its position, water behind the dam has energy that may be used to

3|P a g e SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL // Revised by: Mrs. Geraldine Figueras PHYSICAL SCIENCE // MODULE 13-14
 power generating plants to be transformed to electric energy. The energy travels through wires to homes, where it
is used for lighting, cooking, heating, and to operate various electrical appliances. This is how energy can be
transformed from one form to another.
References:
Physical Science- Santiago, Silverio, Physical Science- Helen E. Caintic, Ph.D.
NAME: SECTION: DATE:
MODULE 13-14: Mass, Momentum, and Energy
Conservation
Critical Thinking: Answer the following items. Use additional sheets of paper if necessary.
1. Find the force of attraction between two objects if mass 1 is 100 kg and the mass 2 is 200 kg and the distance
between their centers of mass is 100 m.

2. The weight of an object on Earth is 100 N. What will be its mass on the Moon?

3. A 10 kg object started from rest. After some time its velocity becomes 20 m/s. What is the change in momentum
of the object?

4. Two objects are 10 m apart. How much is the force of attraction between them if the first body is 100 kg and the
second body is 50 kg?

5. Two bodies m1= 10 kg and m2= 20 kg collided with one another. Before collision the velocity of m 1 is 10 m/s to
the right and that of m2= 5 m/s to the left. How much is the momentum of the second body after collision if the
velocity of the first body after collision is 5 m/s to the right?

4|P a g e SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL // Revised by: Mrs. Geraldine Figueras PHYSICAL SCIENCE // MODULE 13-14