Applicability Reading – Momentum on the Pool Table

Instructions: Read the following information article and answer the associated questions found
below in the Applicability Reading section of your passport.
Most of us are familiar with the resounding crack of billiard balls
hitting each other, even if only through our television sets. That
moment, when two balls smack into each other, is a collision. The
physics of collisions are very important for a successful game of
pool.

Pool is a game of collisions.

Collisions
In a collision, the objects that collide make up what’s called a system. Within a system, objects
have both momentum and impulse. Momentum is a vector quantity (it has both magnitude (size)
and direction) that indicates the movement of mass. Anything that is moving has momentum. How
much momentum something has is determined by its velocity and mass. Velocity is just speed in a
particular direction (another vector quantity). Momentum (p) is mass (m) multiplied by velocity (v):
p=m× v
The force of the collision impact changes the velocity (and thus the momentum) of moving objects.
Collisions are governed by the Law of Conservation of Momentum, meaning that momentum
can’t just disappear: it is conserved. When objects collide, their momenta combine. In a collision
between an object, A, and another object, B, with no external forces acting on the system, the
total momentum of the system before (time 1) and after (time 2) the collision remains the same:
p A 1 + p B 1= p A 2 + pB 2
The impact force of a collision acts over a duration of time. The product of force (F) and time (t) is
impulse (I), or the change in momentum (Δp):
I =F × t
∆ p=m× ∆ v
F × t=m× ∆ v
Greater momentum means greater impulse. The impulse of a collision can be maximized by
applying greater force and/or applying that force over a longer period of time. There are three
general types of collisions, elastic, inelastic, and completely inelastic. In an elastic collision, no
energy is converted into heat or sound. Thus, the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved
(the same before and after). In an inelastic collision, some energy is converted, and the total
kinetic energy of the system changes. Finally, in a
completely inelastic collision, the two objects become
stuck together and there is less total kinetic energy after
the collision than before. Most collisions are inelastic.
Perfectly elastic collisions are almost nonexistent.
However, because billiard balls are very hard and smooth,
their collisions are nearly elastic and are often treated as
such mathematically. In reality, the sound you hear
indicates a reduction in kinetic energy and the friction This car crash appears completely inelastic in that the two
between the balls (however slight) results in some energy vehicles stuck together on impact.

loss as heat.
 The Game of Pool
Pool is one of a group of games under the umbrella term billiards.
Officially called pocket billiards, it got the name pool because people
used to bet on games (they generated a pool of money). In many places,
people still do place bets on pool games. It is played on a felt-lined table
with six pockets. Players use a stick, called a cue stick, to hit a white ball,
Pool is played on a felt-lined table the cue ball, at the other balls on the table. All of the balls are the same
with six pockets.
size and mass, though they are of different colors and are numbered.
The goal is to sink specific balls in the pockets. That’s where physics come in.

The Break
To start, all the colored and numbered balls are
collected at one end of the table in a specific
configuration, called the rack. The rack’s
configuration depends on the version being
played, typically a triangle or a diamond. The
game begins when one player shoots the cue
ball at the rack, breaking it apart and,
preferably, sending some balls into the
pockets. A rack in the triangle configuration.

The break is often considered the most important part of a pool game and there are several
strategies for a good break. Players must hit the cue ball with sufficient force and follow through to
keep that force acting for a longer period
of time. This maximizes the impulse of the
collision which maximizes the momentum
transferred to the ball by the cue stick.
Baseball players use the same strategy.
When the cue ball strikes a ball in the
The break shot can be the most important shot a player takes.
rack, it transfers some of its momentum
to that ball, which transfers it to the balls surrounding it. This wave of momentum moves through
the rack, shooting balls off at different angles. If enough force is put into the initial hit, some of the
balls can bounce off the sides of the table and into pockets at the opposite end. The angles at
which the balls roll away from their starting positions is dependent upon the angle at which the
cue ball strikes the first ball.

Gameplay
After the break, players take aim at specific individual balls, called
object balls, using strike angle and momentum to guide them
into the pockets. The closest you can get to a full momentum
transfer is by hitting the cue ball dead center into the center of
another ball. Because friction is so low, rather than bouncing off
the object ball, the cue ball will stop on impact, transferring all its
momentum and kinetic energy to the object ball, which will shoot
forward. Thus: Players strike the cue ball at specific object balls.

p A 1 + p B 1= p A 2 + pB 2
m A v 1 A + mB v 1 B=m A v 2 A +mB v 2 B
The balls’ equal masses cancel out, the initial velocity of the object ball is 0 and the final velocity of
the cue ball is 0, and we are left with:
v1 A =v2 B
Often, however, the cue ball strikes at an angle. When this happens, some of the momentum is
transferred to the object ball, but some remains with the cue ball as it bounces off. Breaking this
system down, after the cue ball is struck by the cue stick, it has some initial velocity, v 1A. The object
ball starts with velocity v1B = 0. Again, we have:
m A v 1 A + mB v 1 B=m A v 2 A +mB v 2 B
The masses of the balls are equal, so those cancel out and the initial velocity of the object ball is 0,
so the second term on the left can be removed:
v1 A =v2 A + v 2 B
As mentioned, in elastic collisions, kinetic energy is conserved.
Kinetic energy is:
1 2
KE= m v
2
Thus, in an elastic collision:
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
m (v ) + mB ( v 1 B ) = m A (v 2 A ) + mB ( v 2 B )
2 A 1A 2 2 2
Simplified for our scenario:

( v 1 A )2=( v2 A )2 +( v 2 B )2

If this looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it before. The

above equation is the Pythagorean theorem. The velocity
vectors make a right triangle. Post-collision, the cue ball and
the object ball move in perpendicular directions, their
When the cue ball strikes the object ball at a certain velocities dependent upon the initial velocity of the cue ball.
angle, both balls move perpendicular to one another.
Players give the cue ball velocity by striking it with the correct
amount of force. The best pool players learn how much force is needed through an understanding
of physics and lots of practice.

Applicability Reading – Momentum on the Pool Table

1. What is a collision?
2. What are momentum, velocity, and impulse?
3. What does it mean for momentum to be conserved?
4. What are the three types of collisions? Explain.
5. What must players do for a successful break?
6. What happens to the cue ball when it strikes the object ball dead center?
7. Describe what happens when the cue ball strikes the side of the object ball. What is
the relationship between their initial and final velocities?
References
Alciatore D (2007) The Amazing World of Billiards Physics. Colorado State University. Retrieved from
http://billiards.colostate.edu/physics/Alciatore_SCIAM_article_posted_version.pdf.
Alciatore D (2016) How to Break Like a Pro. Billiards Digest. Retrieved from
http://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2016/sept_feature16.pdf.
Crockett C (n.d.) Physics of Pool: Elastic Collision of Equal Masses. Education.com. Retrieved from
https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/linear-momentum-find-perfect-90/.
Momentum – Real-life Applications. (n.d.) Science Clarified. Retrieved from
http://www.scienceclarified.com/everyday/Real-Life-Chemistry-Vol-3-Physics-Vol-1/Momentum-
Real-life-applications.html.
The Physics of Billiards. (n.d.) Real World Physics Problems. Retrieved from https://www.real-world-
physics-problems.com/physics-of-billiards.html.
Tyson J (2001) How Billiard Tables Work. How Stuff Works. Retrieved from
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/billiard-table.htm.