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CIE IGCSE Physics Your notes
1.6 Momentum
Contents
1.6.1 Momentum
1.6.2 Impulse
Page 1 of 12
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1.6.1 Momentum
Your notes
Momentum
EXTENDED
An object with mass that is in motion has momentum which is defined by the equation:
momentum = mass × velocity
p = mv
Where:
p = momentum in kilogram metre per second (kg m/s)
m = mass in kilograms (kg)
v = velocity in metres per second (m/s)
This means that an object at rest (i.e v = 0) has no momentum
Momentum keeps an object moving in the same direction, making it difficult to change the
direction of an object with a large momentum
Since velocity is a vector this means that the momentum of an object also depends on
its direction of travel
This means that momentum can be either positive or negative
If an object travelling to the right has positive momentum, an object travelling in the opposite
direction (to the left) will have negative momentum
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Your notes
The tennis ball's momentum is negative when it moves in the opposite direction to which it initially was
travelling in
Therefore, the momentum of an object will change if:
The object accelerates (speeds up) or decelerates (slows down)
Changes direction
Its mass changes
Page 3 of 12
Worked example
Your notes
Which object has the most momentum?
Both the tennis ball and the brick have the same momentum
Even though the brick is much heavier than the ball, the ball is travelling much faster than the brick
This means that on impact, they would both exert a similar force (depending on the time it takes
for each to come to rest)
Exam Tip
You can remember momentum as mass in motion. The units of momentum are kg m/s which is the
product of the units of mass (kg) and velocity (m/s).
Which direction is taken as positive is completely up to you in the exam. In general, the right and
upwards are taken as positive, and down or to the left as negative.
Page 4 of 12
Conservation of Momentum
EXTENDED Your notes
The principle of conservation of momentum states that:
In a closed system, the total momentum before an event is equal to the total
momentum after the event
A closed system means the energy within the system is constant and there is an absence of
external forces (e.g. friction)
In other words:
The total momentum before a collision = The total momentum after a collision
A system is a certain number of objects under consideration
This can be just one object or multiple objects
Since momentum is a vector quantity, a system of objects moving in opposite directions (e.g.
towards each other) at the same speed will have an overall momentum of 0 since they will cancel
out
Momentum is always conserved over time
The diagram below shows two masses m with velocity u and M at rest (ie. z ero velocity)
The momentum of a system before and after a collision
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Before the collision:

The momentum is only of mass m which is moving
If the right is taken as the positive direction, the total momentum of the system is m × u Your notes
After the collision:
Mass M also now has momentum
The velocity of m is now -v (since it is now travelling to the left) and the velocity of M is V
The total momentum is now the momentum of M + momentum of m
This is (M × V) + (m × -v) or (M × V) – (m × v)
Worked example
The diagram shows a car and a van, just before and just after the car collided with the van, which is
initially at rest.
Use the idea of conservation of momentum to calculate the velocity of the van when it is pushed
forward by the collision.
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Your notes
Page 7 of 12
Your notes
Exam Tip
If it is not given in the question already, drawing a diagram of before and after helps keep track of
all the masses and velocities (and directions) in the conversation of momentum questions.
Page 8 of 12
1.6.2 Impulse
Your notes
Impulse
EXTENDED
When a resultant (unbalanced) force acts on a mass, the momentum of that mass will change
The impulse of a force is equal to that force multiplied by the time for which it acts:
impulse = force × change in time
impulse = FΔt
The change in momentum of a mass is equal to the impulse provided by the force:
impulse = change in momentum
impulse = FΔt = Δp
Change in momentum can also be described as:
Δp = Δ(mv)
Δp = mv − mu
Where:
m = mass in kg
v = final velocity in m/s
u = initial velocity in m/s
Therefore:
impulse = FΔt = Δp = mv − mu
An example in everyday life of impulse is when standing under an umbrella when it is raining,
compared to hail (froz en water droplets)
When rain hits an umbrella, the water droplets tend to splatter and fall off it and there is only a
very small change in momentum
However, hailstones have a larger mass and tend to bounce back off the umbrella, creating a
greater change in momentum
Therefore, the impulse on an umbrella is greater in hail than in rain
This means that more force is required to hold an umbrella upright in hail compared to rain
Page 9 of 12
Your notes
Since hailstones bounce back off an umbrella, compared to water droplets from rain, there is a greater
impulse on an umbrella in hail than in rain
Worked example
A 58 g tennis ball moving horiz ontally to the left at a speed of 30 m s –1 is struck by a tennis racket
which returns the ball back to the right at 20 m s –1.
(i) Calculate the impulse delivered to the ball by the racket

(ii) State which direction the impulse is in
(i) Step 1: Write the known quantities

Taking the initial direction of the ball as positive (the left)
Initial velocity, u = 30 m s –1
Final velocity, v = –20 m s –1
Mass, m = 58 g = 58 × 10–3 kg
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Step 2: Write down the impulse equation

Impulse I = Δp = m(v – u) Your notes
Step 3: Substitute in the values
I = (58 × 10–3) × (–20 – 30) = –2.9 N s
(ii) Direction of the impulse
Since the impulse is negative, it must be in the opposite direction to which the tennis ball was
initial travelling (since the left is taken as positive)
Therefore, the direction of the impulse is to the right
Exam Tip
Remember that if an object changes direction, then this must be reflected by the change in sign
of the velocity. As long as the magnitude is correct, the final sign for the impulse doesn't matter
as long as it is consistent with which way you have considered positive (and negative). For
example, if the left is taken as positive and therefore the right as negative, an impulse of 20 N s to
the right is equal to -20 N s
Page 11 of 12
Force & Momentum

EXTENDED Your notes
Force can also be defined as the rate of change of momentum on a body
The change in momentum is defined as the final momentum minus the initial momentum
These can be expressed as follows:
Page 12 of 12

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CIE IGCSE Physics Your notes

The momentum of a system before and after a collision

Before the collision:

(i) Calculate the impulse delivered to the ball by the racket

(i) Step 1: Write the known quantities

Step 2: Write down the impulse equation

Force & Momentum

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