5.

1: Momentum and Impulse

Momentum
Linear Momentum (𝒑 ⃗ ), or simply “momentum”, is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is used
to describe the motion of an object travelling in a straight line. Newton called it the “quantity of motion”.
⃗ = 𝒎𝒗
𝒑 ⃗

 Momentum is especially useful for analyzing a collection of objects i.e. during collisions
 Momentum is a vector whose direction is always the same as the velocity. Being a vector, momentum
can be analyzed in terms of its components. (𝑝
⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑥 = 𝑚𝑣𝑥 or ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑝𝑦 = 𝑚𝑣𝑦 ).
 Momentum depends on both velocity and mass. Therefore, a slow-moving truck
can have the same momentum as a small car which has a very high velocity.

Impulse
How does an object such as a transport truck build momentum? One factor is the force applied to the object (a
larger force yields a larger momentum). The other is the time interval over which the force is applied (a
longer time interval yields a larger momentum).
Let’s look at these relationships using Newton’s 2nd law:

The product of ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

∑𝐹 ∆𝑡 is referred to as the impulse, which is the change of momentum of an object caused by
a force over a period of time. Impulse is a vector quantity whose direction is in the same direction as the net
force.
In the picture, the ball is moving right  left, and therefore has momentum
towards the batter. After being hit, the momentum of the ball changes
dramatically.
 The change in momentum was caused by the impulse (the force applied
by the bat over a given period of time)
Example: A 0.160 kg puck is travelling at 5.0 m/s [N] when a slapshot produces a collision that lasts for
0.0020 s and gives the puck a velocity of 40.0 m/s [S].
a. Calculate the impulse imparted by the hockey stick.
b. Determine the average force applied by the stick to the puck.

Example: A volleyball player starts a serve by throwing the ball vertically upward. The 260 g ball comes to
rest at its max height and is then hit by the server with an average force of 6.5 N [horizontal].
a. Determine the speed of the ball after the player hits it if the force is exerted for 615 ms.
b. On the next serve, the player applies the same force, but makes contact for 875 ms. Determine the
speed of the ball.

Impulse in Sports
Q: Why are the serving speeds in tennis and the driving distances in golf so much greater
today than in the past?
A: