Linear Momentum

Momentum is “quantity of motion”

Easy to start Hard to start

m M
Momentum depends on mass
and velocity

m v Easy to stop

M
v Hard to stop

momentum = mass  velocity

Q: A truck is 20 times more massive than a
motorcycle but is moving at 1/25 the speed.
Which has more momentum?

p (motorcycle) = mv
p (truck) = (20m)(v/25)
20
= mv
25
 Linear Momentum
 
P  mv
Dimensions of momentum: MLT-1
Units of momentum: kg-m/s

Force Momentum
NEW FORM OF SECOND LAW

The rate of change of momentum

of a body is equal to the
resultant force acting on the
body and is in the direction of
that force.
  
ma  F (old form)
 
dp
 F (new form of Newton's Law)
dt
They are the same:
  
dp d ( m v ) dv  
 m  ma  F
dt dt dt
Newton’s 2nd law for several particles
   
P  p1  p 2   p N
d  d  d  d 
P  p1  p 2   p N
dt dt dt dt
  
 F1  F2   FN
i N 
  Fi  total external force
i 1
Conservation of Linear Momentum
 
dP
If  F ext  0 0
dt

P  constant

Momentum is conserved for an

isolated system
 m1u1 m2u2

pi = m1u1 + m2u2

m1v1 m2v2

pf = m1v1 + m2v2
 Momentum is conserved:
initial momentum = final momentum

m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2

m1u1 m2u2

m1v1 m2v2
 
Before explosion: Pi  0
After explosion:

v1 v2
m1 m2

P f  0 but P f  m1v1  m2 v 2
 m1v1  m2 v 2
Q: A bomb of mass 10 kg, initially at rest,
explodes into two pieces of masses 4 kg
and 6 kg. If the speed of the 4 kg piece is
12 m/s, find the speed of the 6 kg piece.

ANSWER : 6v  4 12  v  8 m / s
0  pi  p f  pgas  procket

pgas   procket
0  pi  p f  prifle  pbullet
prifle   pbullet
Q: A shell is fired from a cannon with
a speed 10 m/s at an angle 600 with
the horizontal. At the highest point in
its path it explodes into two pieces of
equal masses. One of the pieces
retraces its path to the cannon. Find
the velocity of the other piece
immediately after the explosion.
600
BEFORE EXPLOSION:
Vx = 10 cos 60  5 m / s
Px = 5 M kg m / s
 P1x P2x

AFTER EXPLOSION:
M
P1x = -5 (why?)
2
M
But P1x  P2x = Px  P2x  5 M  5
2
M
Use P2x = v 2x  v 2x = 15 m / s
2
Q: A stream of bullets, each of mass m,
is fired horizontally with a speed v into a
large wooden block of mass M that is
initially at rest on a horizontal table. If
the block is free to slide without friction,
what speed will it acquire after it has
absorbed N bullets?

V
 M
 V
 M

Linear momentum is conserved:

Pf  Pi
( M  N m)V  N (m v)
Nm
V v
( M  N m)
A cannon with mass M equal to 1300 kg
fires a 72 kg ball in horizontal direction with
a muzzle speed v of 55 m/s. The cannon is
mounted so that it can recoil freely.
a): What is the velocity V of the recoiling
cannon with respect to the earth?
b): What is the initial velocity vE of the ball
with respect to the earth?
a) Linear momentum is conserved:
Pf  Pi
MV  m(v  V )  0
mv (72kg )(55m / s)
V  
mM 1300kg  72kg
V  2.9 m / s
b) v E  v  V
 55m / s  ( 2.9 m / s)
v E  52m / s
 A

Is the momentum conserved ?

Where does the particle finally come

to rest ?
 A

Suppose the total distance moved on

the flat part before it comes to rest is x.
h
mgh  fx   mgx  x 
g
 Impulse and Momentum
dp dp  Fdt
F
dt t 2

Define: I  Fdt
t1
t2 pf

Since  Fdt =  dp
t1 pi
 I  p f  pi
 A ball bounces off the floor :

t
t1 t5
t2 t3 t4
p1
p2
p3 = 0 p4 p5

F2 F4

F3
 F(t)
equal areas
I
Fav
I  Fav t
O t1 t2 t3 t
t
Area under the curve = impulse
 “soft” spring
F

t
t tf
ti
t is BIG, F is SMALL
F

“stiff” spring

t t
t is SMALL, F is BIG
 F t  p F t  p

(breaks) (doesn’t break)

Drop egg on foam
Q: Would you rather land with
your legs bending or stiff?

Q: Why do cricket fielders move

their hands backwards when
catching a fast ball?

Q: Why do railway carriages have

dampers at the front and back?
Conclude:

Momentum is a concept that is useful because of Newton’s 2nd

law. Physics is a quantitative field.

It turns out that momentum conservation still holds even when we

go beyond Newton’s laws. But momentum is not just mv.