The Law of the Conservation of

Momentum
Conservation of Momentum
The law of conservation of momentum states when a system of
interacting objects is not influenced by outside forces (like friction), the
total momentum of the system cannot change.

If you throw a rock forward

from a skateboard, you will
move backward in response.
 The Law of the Conservation of
Momentum
Thestates…
total momentum of all objects
interacting with one another remains
constant regardless of the nature of the
forces between the objects.

The total momentum of a system will

stay the same before and after a
collision.
WHEN THE CUE BALLS TRAVELS TOWARDS
THE
OTHER BALL, IT CARRIES SOME OF THE
MOMENTUM WITH IT. THE REST IS
TRANSFERRED TO THE SECOND BALL .
THEREFORE, NONE OF THE MOMENTUM WAS
LOST.
 CONSERVATION
OF
MOMENTUM
P INITIAL=P FINAL
(M1V1+M2V2) INITIAL
=(M1V1+M2V2)FINAL

REMEMBER:
P=MV
 Why does Mr Stickfigure
on the ice move
backwards?
Before Collision
-p +p
After Collision

p = -5 kgm/s p = 5 kgm/s

Momentum = zero (not moving) Momentum = zero

ptotal = 0kgm/s ptotal = 5kgm/s + (-5kgm/s)
ptotal = 0kgm/s
Answer the Question
◦Mr Stickfigure moves backwards because he threw the ball forward.

Explain the Relationship

◦The Law of the Conservation of Momentum states that the total momentum of a
system must stay the same before and after. Before the ball and Mr Stickfigure
had a total momentum of zero, so after, the total momentum needed to stay zero.

Support with Data/Observations

◦When the ball moved forward it had a positive momentum, so Mr Stickfigure
needed a negative momentum to cancel it out. This is why he moved backwards.
 “ ecoil
r”

Recoil is a term that refers to moment when a gun

moves backwards after it is shot.
Recoil happens because everything must follow “The
Law of the Conservation of Momentum”!!!
 The total momentum before was zero
So the total momentum after has to be zero

The gun moves with a negative momentum because the bullet

moves with a positive momentum and they cancel out, the total
momentum stays zero.
 IS A N ENCOU NT ER BET WEEN T W O OBJECT S RES U L T I N G
I N EX CH A N G E O F I M P U L S E A N D M O M EN T U M .
 I N A N Y CO L L I S I O N , T H ERE M U S T BE CO N S ERV A T
I O N O F L I N EA R M O M EN T U M , BU T T H I S CA N EX P RES
S I T S EL F I N A
VA RIET Y OF WA YS D EP END I N G O N T HE T YP E OF COL
L IS I O N .
 KINET IC ENERGY MA Y BE L OS T D U RING COL L IS I O N
WHEN:
-- I T I S CO N V ERT ED T O H EA T O R O T H ER F O RM S L I KE
BI N D I N G
EN ERG Y, S O U N D , L I G H T ( I F T H ERE I S S PA RK) ET C. , A
ND :
-- IT IS S P ENT I N P ROD U CING D EF ORMA T I O N OR D A
MA GE, S U CH A S WHEN T O CA RS COL L ID E .
 Elastic or
Inelastic?

An elastic collision loses In an inelastic collision,

no energy. The deform- energy is lost and the
ation on collision is fully deformation may be
restored. permanent.
Elastic
One in which the total kinetic energy of the
collision
system does not change, and colliding objects
bounce off after collision
-- momentum before and after are equal.
Example: a bouncing ball like basketball, table
tennis ball, billiard ball.
Inelastic
collision
A collision in which two objects
deforms so that the objects move in
the same direction but with different
final velocities after colliding.
Perfectly
A collision
Inelastic in which two objects stick
together and move with the same
velocity after colliding.
For each of the
following
examples, identify
the type of
collision…
Perfectly
Inelastic
Perfectly
Inelastic
Elasti
c
Perfectly
Inelastic
Inelasti
c
Perfectly
Inelastic
 Key Concepts
Elastic “Starts from rest” Vi =
0m/s “Stops” Vf =
0m/s

m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f Perfectly Inelastic

Inelastic
m1v1i + m2v2i = (m1+ m2)vf

m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f

 Easy Problem
A 50.0kg girl jumps into a 100kg raft at rest on the water. If the
Solving
velocity of the girl is 4.00m/s as she jumps, what is the final velocity of
the girl and the raft?

Before After
Draw a Picture G
G
R R
mG = 50.0kg mR = 100kg mG = 50.0kg mR = 100kg
VG = 4.00m/s VR = 0m/s Vf = ?

mGVG + mRVR = (mG + mR)Vf

(50.0kg)(4.00m/s)+(100.0kg)(0m/s) = (50.0kg +100kg)(Vf)
200kgm/s = (150kg)Vf
150kg = (150kg)

1.33m/s = Vf
 Easy Problem
A 63.0kg astronaut throws a 5.0kg hammer in a direction away from
the Solving
shuttle with a speed of 18.0m/s, pushing the astronaut back to
the shuttle. Assuming that the astronaut and hammer start from rest,
find the final speed of the astronaut after throwing the hammer.
-90kgm/s +90kgm/s
Before
After A H
A H
mA = 63.0kg mH = 5.0kg mA = 63.0kg mH = 5.0kg
VA = 0m/s VH = 0m/s VA = ? VH =
18m/s
mAVA + mHVH = mAVA + m V H H

(63.0kg)(0m/s)+(5.0kg)(0m/s) = (63.0kg)VA + (5.0kg)(18.0m/s)

0kgm/s = (63.0kg)VA + 90.0kgm/s
-90.0kgm/s = (63.0kg)VA
63.0kg