10-03-C06

Grade 10 Physics
Chapter 3: FORCE
3.6 MOMENTUM AND LAW OF
CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM

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71. According to the Newton’s second law;
   v  v0  mv  mv0
F  ma  m 
 t  t
where another important physical quantity in the above
equation is the product of mass and velocity.

Momentum (p): The momentum of a body is defined as the

product of the mass of the body and its velocity.
 
p  mv , where = momentum of the body,

m = mass of the body and v = velocity of the body.

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72. Momentum of a body is directly proportional to its velocity.

73. Momentum is a vector quantity. The direction of momentum

is the same as that of the velocity.
74. The unit of momentum is expressed as the product of mass
unit and velocity unit.
75. In MKS system, the unit of momentum is kg m s-1.

76. One fundamental law of physics is the law of conservation

of momentum.

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Law of Conservation of Momentum: If there is no net
external force acting on an isolated system, the total
momentum of the system is constant.

The law of conservation of momentum is a general law and

is true for both macroscopic and microscopic objects.
Macroscopic things are large enough to be seen without
using a microscope.
Microscopic objects are extremely small, and usually can
be seen only through a microscope.

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Let us consider a collision between two bodies of masse mA

and mB. These two bodies constitute an isolated system.

vA vB vA vB

mA mB mA mB

Fig: Before collision Fig: After collision

According to law of conservation of momentum,

total momentum before collision = total momentum after collision

   
pA  pB  pA  pB
   
mA vA  mBvB  mA vA  mBvB
 
vA and vB are velocities of the masses before collision, and
 
vA and vB are their velocities after collision. 5
Let us apply the law of conservation of momentum to a very
simple and easy case. A compressed spring is placed
between two wooden balls of different sizes. Both balls are
initially at rest.

vA = vB = 0
vA vB
A              B A              B
compressed spring spring is released

When the spring is released, according to the law of

conservation of momentum, the total initial momentum is zero,
and so will be the total final momentum.
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 total initial momentum = total final momentum
   
pA  pB  pA  pB
 
0  mA vA  mBvB
 
mBvB  mA vA
The minus sign indicates that the two velocity vectors are
parallel but opposite in direction.
Taking only magnitude, we have, mBvB  mA vA
vA
mB  mA
vB
 and
Where vA vB are the magnitudes of the velocity vectors.

By using this relation, inertial mass can be measured.

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