Lesson 2. Impulse and Momentum

ENGR. CARMELA R. MIRANDILLA, M.Eng., ASEAN Eng.
Quick review
of last
meeting’s
topic
LINEAR MOMENTUM
The scientific definition of linear momentum is consistent with most
people’s intuitive understanding of momentum: a large, fast-moving
object has greater momentum than a smaller, slower object.
Linear momentum is defined as the product of a system’s mass
multiplied by its velocity. In symbols, linear momentum is expressed as
p=mv.
Momentum is directly proportional to the object’s mass and also its
velocity. Thus, the greater an object’s mass or the greater its velocity,
the greater its momentum.
Momentum p is a vector having the same direction as the velocity v
The SI unit for momentum is kg⋅m/s
Sample problem
Calculating Momentum: A Football Player and a Football
(a) Calculate the momentum of a 110-kg football player running at 8.00

m/s. (b) Compare the player’s momentum with the momentum of a
hard-thrown 0.410-kg football that has a speed of 25.0 m/s.
Momentum and Newton’s Second Law
The importance of momentum, unlike the importance of energy, was
recognized early in the development of classical physics. Momentum was
deemed so important that it was called the “quantity of motion.” Newton
actually stated his second law of motion in terms of momentum: The net
external force equals the change in momentum of a system divided by the
time over which it changes. Using symbols, this law is
Fnet=ΔpΔt,
where Fnet is the net external force,

Δp is the change in momentum, and
Δt is the change in time.
This statement of Newton’s second law of motion includes the more familiar Fnet=ma as a special case. We can derive this form as follows. First, note
that the change in momentum Δp
is given by
Δp=Δ(mv)
If the mass of the system is constant, then
Δ(mv)=mΔv
So that for constant mass, Newton’s second law of motion becomes
Fnet=ΔpΔt=mΔvΔt
Because ΔvΔt=a , we get the familiar equation
Fnet=ma
Sample problem
Calculating Force: Venus Williams’ Racquet
During the 2007 French Open, Venus Williams hit the fastest recorded
serve in a premier women’s match, reaching a speed of 58 m/s (209
km/h). What is the average force exerted on the 0.057-kg tennis ball by
Venus Williams’ racquet, assuming that the ball’s speed just after
impact is 58 m/s, that the initial horizontal component of the velocity
before impact is negligible, and that the ball remained in contact with
the racquet for 5.0 ms (milliseconds)?
The effect of a force on an object depends on how long it acts, as well
as how great the force is. In the previous example, a very large force
acting for a short time had a great effect on the momentum of the
tennis ball. A small force could cause the same change in momentum,
but it would have to act for a much longer time. For example, if the ball
were thrown upward, the gravitational force (which is much smaller
than the tennis racquet’s force) would eventually reverse the
momentum of the ball. Quantitatively, the effect we are talking about is
the change in momentum Δp
By rearranging the equation Fnet=ΔpΔt to be
Δp=FnetΔt
we can see how the change in momentum equals the average net
external force multiplied by the time this force acts. The quantity
FnetΔt is given the name impulse. Impulse is the same as the change
in momentum.
IMPULSE: CHANGE IN MOMENTUM
Change in momentum equals the average net external force multiplied
by the time this force acts.
Δp=FnetΔt
The quantity FnetΔ is given the name impulse.

Now, to solve problems involving one-dimensional elastic collisions
between two objects we can use the equations for conservation of
momentum and conservation of internal kinetic energy. First, the
equation for conservation of momentum for two objects in a one-
dimensional collision is
where the primes (') indicate values after the collision. By definition, an
elastic collision conserves internal kinetic energy, and so the sum of
kinetic energies before the collision equals the sum after the collision.
Thus,
Example:
Calculating Velocities Following an Elastic Collision
Calculate the velocities of two objects following an elastic collision,
given that
m1=0.500 kg,m2=3.50 kg,v1=4.00 m/s, andv2=0.

Lab # 2:
Instructions:
Perform the activity. Follow the instructions. Record a short video of
yourself performing the activity.

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ENGR. CARMELA R. MIRANDILLA, M.Eng., ASEAN Eng.

(a) Calculate the momentum of a 110-kg football player running at 8.00

where Fnet is the net external force,

If the mass of the system is constant, then

So that for constant mass, Newton’s second law of motion becomes

Because ΔvΔt=a , we get the familiar equation

The quantity FnetΔ is given the name impulse.

m1=0.500 kg,m2=3.50 kg,v1=4.00 m/s, andv2=0.

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