Conservation of Momentum

 Momentum must be conserved.

 This fact means that the momentum in a specific direction
before a collision must be equal to the momentum in that
same direction after the collision.
 Consider the two identical pucks to the right.
 In the first collision, momentum is conserved because the
first puck completely stops and the second puck departs
with the same initial momentum as the first puck in the
same direction as the first puck.
 In the second collision, momentum is conserved because
both pucks move off with one half the speed of the first
puck before the collision and in the same direction as the
first puck.
 Why isn’t the momentum conserved in the collision to
follow?
 The second puck moved with the same speed but in a
different dimension.
 Therefore, momentum was not conserved in this collision.

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum – Elastic Collisions
 Elastic Collision – a collision in which the colliding bodies do not
stick together.
 The equation used for elastic collisions is as follows.

m1v1I  m2 v2 I  m1v1F  m2 v2 F

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum – Inelastic Collisions
 Inelastic Collision – a collision in which the colliding bodies stick
together.
 The equation used for elastic collisions is as follows.

m1v1  m2 v2  MVF

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum

 Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

m1v1I  m2 v2 I  m1v1F  m2 v2 F m1v1I  m2V2 I  MVF

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum

 Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum

 Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

 Momentum

 Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.

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© 2001-2007 Shannon W. Helzer. All Rights Reserved.