Momentum p ​​ ​S.I. Unit: ​kg m/s  Vector?

​Yes 
What does Momentum p mean?        
Momentum p​ ​is defined to be the mass times the velocity. 
 
The ​momentum ​of a system will be conserved if there’s no net external force on that 
system. 
 

p​ = ​m​v 
p ​= momentum 
m​ = mass 
v ​= velocity of the mass m 
 
 

 
 
 
Example Question: 
Question: Two blocks of mass 3M and M head toward each other sliding over a 
frictionless surface with speeds 2v and 5v respectively and stick together. In which 
direction will the two masses slide across the frictionless floor after the collision? 
 
A. Left 
B. Right 
C. They stop upon collision 
D. Not enough info 
 
Answer: B 
 
Impulse J    ​S.I. Unit: ​kg m/s ​or​ Ns  Vector? ​Yes 
What does Impulse mean?        
The ​Impulse J ​is equal to the amount of force exerted on the object/system multiplied 
by the time during which the force has acted. 
 
The​ net ​Impulse ΣJ ​on an object/system is ​equal to the change in momentum​ of that 
object/system. 
 

J​ = ​F​ Δ​
​ t 
J ​= impulse imparted by force F 
F​ = Force imparting the impulse 
Δ​t​ ​= time the force F acts on the object 
 

Σ​J ​=​ Δp​ = Σ​F​ Δ​

​ t  
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Example Question: 
Question: A bouncy ball of mass M is is initially moving to the right toward a wall with a 
speed 2v as seen below. The ball recoils off the wall with a speed v. What is the 
magnitude of the impulse on the ball from the wall? 
 
A. Mv 
B. 2Mv 
C. 3Mv 
D. 4Mv 
 
Answer: C 
 
 
 
Impulse as area under an F vs. t graph  
 
What does Impulse as area mean?           
If you graph the force on an object as a function of the time during which the force acts, 
then the area under the curve will equal the impulse imparted on that object. 
 
So, the “area under a F vs. t graph is equal to the impulse.” 
 

Area under curve​ =​ Impulse 

 
Note: Area under the t axis counts as negative impulse. 
 

 
Example Question: 
Question: A toy rocket of mass 2kg is initially heading to the right with a speed of 10m/s. 
A force in the horizontal direction is exerted on the rocket as shown in the graph below. 
What is the velocity of the rocket at time t=10s? 
 
A. 20m/s 
B. 40m/s 
C. -20m/s 
D. -40m/s 
 
Answer: D 
 
Work​/​Energy ​is analogous to​ Impulse​/​Momentum 
 
What does the Work/Energy and Impulse/Momentum analogy mean?      
There is a strong analogy between the ideas of ​Work​/​Energy​ and ​Impulse​/​Momentum​. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elastic ​and​ Inelastic ​Collisions 
 
What does ​Elastic​ and ​Inelastic​ collisions mean?          
If the total ​kinetic energy​ is conserved during a collision, that collision is called ​Elastic​. 
 
If some ​kinetic energy​ is transformed into thermal energy and other forms of 
non-mechanical energy during a collision we call the collision ​Inelastic​.  
 

 
 
Example Question: 
Question: Two blocks of mass 2M and M head toward each other sliding over a 
frictionless surface with speeds 4v and 6v respectively. After the collision the 2M mass 
is at rest, and the mass M has a velocity of 2v to the right. Was the collision elastic or 
inelastic? 
A. Inelastic since kinetic energy wasn’t conserved 
B. Inelastic since momentum wasn’t conserved 
C. Elastic since the kinetic energy was conserved 
D. Elastic since momentum was conserved 
 
Answer: A 
 
Collisions in 2D     
What does Collisions in 2D mean?        
Momentum will be conserved for each direction in which there is no net impulse. 
 
You can figure out the final components of the velocity in both directions since for a 
collision (assuming there is no external impulse) momentum will be conserved for BOTH 
the x and y directions. 
 

​Σp​initial​ x​ ​=​ ​Σp​final​ x Σp​

​ initial​ y​ ​=​ ​Σp​final​ y 
p​1​ ​initial​ x​ ​+​ ​p​2​ ​initial​ x​ ​=​ ​p​1​ ​final​ x​ +​ ​p​2​ ​final​ x p​1​ ​initial​ y​ + ​p​2​ ​initial​ y​ =​ ​ p
​ ​1​ ​final​ y​ + ​p​2​ ​final​ y 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Example Question: 
Question: A metal sphere of mass M is traveling horizontally with a speed 5m/s when it 
collides with an identical sphere of mass M at rest. After the collision the original sphere 
has velocity components ​v​x​ = 4m/s and ​v​y​ = 3m/s. What are the velocity components of 
the other sphere after the collision? 
 
A. V​x​ = 1 m/s V​x​ = -2 m/s  
B. V​x​ = 3 m/s V​x​ = -4 m/s 
C. V​x​ = 3 m/s V​x​ = -1 m/s 
D. V​x​ = 1 m/s V​x​ = -3 m/s 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Answer: D 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Center of Mass​ ​(​CM​)    S.I. Unit: ​m   Vector? ​ Yes 
What does ​Center of Mass​ mean?        
The ​center of mass​ of an object/system is the point the object/system would balance. 
The ​center of mass​ is also the point upon which gravity acts. 
 
The ​center of mass​ does not accelerate unless there is an external force on the system.
 

CM​ = (​m​1​x​1​ + ​m​2​x​2​ + …)/(M​total​) 

CM​ ​= the location of the center of mass 
m​1​ = mass 1 
x​1​ = the displacement of mass 1 from x=0 reference point 
m​2​ = mass 2 
x​2​ = the displacement of mass 2 from x=0 reference point 
M​total​ = m​1​ + m​2​ + … 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Example Question: 
Question: A remote controlled car of mass M is sitting at rest on a wooden plank of mass 
M in the position seen below. There is friction between the car and the plank, but not 
between the plank and the ice upon which the plank sits. The remote controlled car is 
turned on and then off. What’s a possible final position of the car and plank?  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A. 
 
 
 
 
 
B.  
 
 
 
 
 
C. 
 
 
 
 
 
D.