Name: _____________________

Momentum Basics

Period: _____________________
1.

A 14 N force is applied for 0.33 seconds. Calculate the impulse.

2.
10m/s

48kg

12m/s

A 48 kg object is moving 12 m/s down. It hits the ground and bounces up moving 10 m/s.
A. Which velocity is negative?
B. Calculate the initial momentum of the object.
C. Calculate the final momentum of the object.

48kg

D. Remembering that change of is always final initial,

what is the change of momentum of the object?

Before
v = 0 m/s

After
v = _____

10 N
8 sec

6 kg

pbefore =

I=

3.

6 kg

A 6 kg object starts at rest. It is then pushed by a 10 N force for 8 seconds.

A. How much initial momentum does the object have?
B. Calculate the impulse that acted on the object.
C. Since impulse equals a change of momentum, how much momentum
did it gain?

pafter =

D. How much momentum does it have afterwards?

E. Under the diagram, calculate the final velocity of the object.

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Copyright 2009, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________

Momentum Basics

Period: _____________________
1.

A 14 N force is applied for 0.33 seconds. Calculate the impulse.

2.
10m/s

48kg

12m/s

48kg

A 48 kg object is moving 12 m/s down. It hits the ground and bounces up moving 10 m/s.
A. Which velocity is negative?
B. Calculate the initial momentum of the object.
C. Calculate the final momentum of the object.
D. Remembering that change of is always final initial,
what is the change of momentum of the object?

Before
v = 0 m/s

After
v = _____

10 N
8 sec

6 kg

pbefore =

I=

6 kg

pafter =

3.

A 6 kg object starts at rest. It is then pushed by a 10 N force for 8 seconds.

A. How much initial momentum does the object have?
B. Calculate the impulse that acted on the object.
C. Since impulse equals a change of momentum, how much momentum
did it gain?
D. How much momentum does it have afterwards?
E. Under the diagram, calculate the final velocity of the object.

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Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________
Before
v = 0 m/s

After
v = _____

6N
1 min

3 kg

pbefore =

3 kg

pafter =

I=

Before
v = 0 m/s

pbefore =

5.

2 kg

Before
v = 0 m/s
2 kg

pafter =

I=

A 3 kg object is at rest. It is pushed on by a 6 N force for 1 minute.

A. What time are you going to use for impulse?
B. Calculate the impulse.
C. Calculate the final velocity of the object.

After
v = _____

50 N
2 sec

2 kg

4.

pbefore =

After
v = _____

5N
40 sec

2 kg

pafter =

I=

A 50 N force pushes on a 2kg object for 2 seconds. On another 2 kg object a 5 N force pushes for 40 seconds.
A. Calculate the impulse of the 50 N force.
B. Calculate the impulse of the 5 N force.
C. Which one gave a bigger impulse?
D. Which one gave a greater change of momentum?
E. Under the diagrams, calculate the final velocities of each.
F. So, which gives a bigger impulse: the big force or the small force?

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Copyright 2009, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________
Before
v = 0 m/s

After
v = _____

6N
1 min

3 kg

pbefore =

3 kg

pafter =

I=

Before
v = 0 m/s
2 kg

pbefore =

5.

4.

C. Calculate the final velocity of the object.

After
v = _____

50 N
2 sec
I=

A 3 kg object is at rest. It is pushed on by a 6 N force for 1 minute.

A. What time are you going to use for impulse?
B. Calculate the impulse.

2 kg

pafter =

Before
v = 0 m/s
2 kg

pbefore =

After
v = _____

5N
40 sec
I=

2 kg

pafter =

A 50 N force pushes on a 2kg object for 2 seconds. On another 2 kg object a 5 N force pushes for 40 seconds.
A. Calculate the impulse of the 50 N force.
B. Calculate the impulse of the 5 N force.
C. Which one gave a bigger impulse?
D. Which one gave a greater change of momentum?
E. Under the diagrams, calculate the final velocities of each.
F. So, which gives a bigger impulse: the big force or the small force?

cstephenmurray.com

Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________

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Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________

Momentum Basics Examples

Period: _____________________

Before you are able to do more advance Conservation of Momentum problems,

you must master the following concepts.
Calculating Momentum:

p = mv
Remember that momentum can be negative or zero, if not moving.
Ex 1: A 5 kg object going 2 m/s to the left. p = 5(-2) = -10 kgm/s.
Ex 2 : A 10 kg object going 3 m/s to the right. p = 10(3) = 30 kgm/s.
Calculating Net Momentum:

pnet =p = p1 + p2 + p2... (Find the momentum of each individual object and add them together.)
Remember that momentum can be zero and that net momentum can be positive, negative, or zero.
Ex 1: A 2 kg object going 3 m/s left and a 3 kg object going 1 m/s left. pnet = 2(-3) + 3(-1) = -6 -3 = -9 kgm/s.
Ex 2: A 3 kg object going 6 m/s left and a 2 kg object going 9 m/s right. pnet = 3(-6) + 2(9) = -18 + 18 = 0 kgm/s
Calculating Change of Velocity:

v = vfinal vinitial

(Change of Velocity = vfinal vinitial)

Remember negatives and that a negative times a negative is a positive.

Ex 1: A 2 kg mass going 2m/s left ends up going 6m/s left. Change of velocity = -6 - (-2) = -6 + 2 = -4 m/s
Ex 2: A 3 kg mass going 4 m/s ends up going 3 m/s the other way. Change of velocity = -3 - 4 = -7 m/s
Note: "The other way means negative, if started positive. OR, if you assume it starts going left: 3 -(-4) = 7 m/s.
Calculating Change of Momentum:

p = pfinal pinitial = m(vfinal vinitial) (Either way)

Remember negatives and that a negative times a negative is a positive.
Ex 1: A 4 kg mass going 10 m/s stops. 0 - 4(10) = -40 kgm/s OR 4(0-10) = 4(-10) = -40 kgm/s
Ex 2: A 4 kg mass going 6 m/s right ends up going 2 m/s left. 4(-2 - (6)) = 4(-8) = -32 kgm/s
Ex 3: A 2 kg mass going 4 m/s to the left ends up going 3 m/s to the right. 2(3 - (-4)) = 2(3 + 4) = 2(7) = 14 kgm/s
Impulse (I):

I = Ft = p OR Ft = mv OR Ft = m(vfinal - vinitial)

(just written differently)

Just like a force does work to change the energy of an object, a force acting during a time (an impulse) creates a change
of momentum. In both of these cases a force speeds up or slows down an object. Remember: the same impulse (p)
can be done several ways: a large force over a small time can create the same change of momentum as a small force
acting over a large time. (Think about this mathematically: 24 kgm/s = (2N) x 12 sec OR = 8 N x 3 seconds, etc.)
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Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________

The Law of Conservation of Momentum

Period: _____________________

Momentum can be transferred when objects collide. The objects exert equal and
opposite forces on each other, causing both objects to change velocity.

Transfer of Momentum

The ball on the left transfers its

momentum thru the three middle
balls to the ball on the right. The
balls in the middle do not move.

Before

When a car is hit from behind it lunges forward because

momentum is transferred from the car in the back.

After
In any interaction (objects colliding or pushing off from each other) momentum
is conserved: the total amount of momentum doesnt change. It is just redistributed!

Momentum is Conserved

before 1 kg

collision

1 kg

v = 3 m/s
p = 3 kgm/s +

1 kg

after

1 kg

Equal and opposite forces

are applied on each other.

v = 1 m/s
p = 1 kgm/s

pnet = 4 kgm/s

Momentum is conserved!

pnet = 4 kgm/s
Law of Conservation of Momentum

pbefore I = pafter

We know that an impulse can change momentum, so it must be included in our

equation. But only an external impulse must be includedone that changes the
momentum of the system.
The equal and opposite forces of
a collision cancel each other out,
so they dont need to be included.

Any external force changes the

total momentum and must be
included as an impulse.

collision

external force

F
No External Impulse

Positive External Impulse

Example 1: A 2 kg mass going 1 m/s is pulled by an 8 N

force for 4 sec. How fast is the mass going afterwards?
Before

+W

m=
2 kg

After
8N

m=
2 kg

4 sec

2(1)+ 8(4) = 2(vA)

34 = 2vA

2 + 32 = 2vA

vA = 17 m/s

Thrown, Launched,
or Pushed Objects

mball = 1 kg
vb = -20 m/s

pbefore = 0
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Combined Objects
Sometimes objects combine or split.
When combined, the mass = m1 + m2 = m1+2.
Example 2: A 5 g bullet is shot into a resting 2 kg
block. How fast are the two going afterwards?
5 g;
400 m/s

before
m = 2 kg
v = 0 m/s

after
mafter = v = ?
m1+2
= 2.005 kg

There are two objects before (pB = p1 + p2), no external

forces (I = 0), and one combined object after (pA = p1+2).

v=?
v = 1 m/s
There is only one object, so pbefore = mv
and there is an external impulse.
pbefore I = pafter
mvB + Ft = mvA

1 kg

v = 1 m/s
v = 3 m/s
p = 1 kgm/s + p = 3 kgm/s

If there are no external forces, the net

momentum of a system remains constant.

Law of Conservation
of Momentum

1 kg

pbefore I = pafter
m1v1B + m2v2B + 0 = (m1+ m2)vA
.005(400)+ 2(0) = (2.005)vA

Combined mass
.02/2.005 = vA

.02 + 0 = 1.005vA

vA = .01 m/s

Thrown objects start at rest, so v = 0 and pbefore = 0. Since momentum is conserved, pafter must
still = 0. So the objects must be moving in opposite directions, with equal amounts of momentum.

mskater = 40 kg
vS = 0.5 m/s

pafter = 0 = pball + pskater

Notice that
the more
massive object
moves slower.

The rocket
because
Rockets
goes up
(and balloons)
move by conservation
of momentum, too. Gases
are expelled at a very fast velocity,
pushing the rocket the opposite direction.

the fuel
goes down.

Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________
1.

p1 + 2

2.

m1

3.

v2A

4.

m1 + 2

5.

v1 + 2

A. Velocity of the second object after

a collision.
B. Velocity of two combined objects.
C. Mass of two objects that are stuck
together.

6.

pB + I = pA

7.

p1B + p2B = p1A + p2A B. An object is pushed and speeds up.

8.

p1B + p2B = p(1+2)A

C. Two objects at rest push off.

9.

p(1+2)B = p1A + p2A

D. Two objects collide and stick.

A. Two moving objects collide and stop.

D. Momentum of two combined objects.

10. p1B + p2B = 0

E. A moving object breaks apart.

E. Mass of the first object.

11. 0 = p1A + p2A

F. Two objects collide and dont connect.

12. An object going 3 m/s is pushed by a force for 2 seconds.

Conservation of p Equation: ___________________

16. A moving object is stopped by a force.

.

13. A cannon shoots a cannonball.

___________________

17. A person jumps into a boat that is at rest to begin with.

Conservation of p Equation: ___________________

14. Two pool balls collide and bounce off of each other.
Conservation of p Equation: ___________________
15. An object at rest is pushed by a force.
Conservation of p Equation:

Conservation of p Equation:

___________________

20. A 6 kg object going 3 m/s hits a 4 kg object at rest. If the

6 kg object is going 1 m/s afterwards, what is the 4 kg
objects final velocity?

Conservation of p Equation:

___________________

18. Two ice skaters push off from each other.

Conservation of p Equation:

___________________

19. A moving object explodes into two pieces.

Conservation of p Equation:

___________________

24. When is momentum not conserved?

25. A person shoots a bullet from a gun.

A) What happens to the gun and shoulder holding the gun?
B) How much does the shooter move?
21. A 10 kg object going 3 m/s is pushed by a 12 N force for
4 seconds. Find its final velocity.

C) If the bullet hits a person-size target, how much will the

target move?
D) In the movies a bullet causes a person to fly
backwards violently. Explain why this is impossible.

26. How does a rocket move?

22. A 1,000 kg cannon shoots a 2 kg cannonball 500 m/s to the
right. How fast does the cannon move?
27. As a person jumps up, what happens to the earth?

23. A 60 kg person running 1.5 m/s jumps into a 12 kg boat

that is at rest. How fast is the boat and person moving
afterwards?

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28. A 6 kg object moving 10 m/s to the right splits into two

equal pieces. If afterwards, one of the pieces is moving
4 m/s to the right, how fast is the other piece moving?

Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray

Name: _____________________
Period: _____________________

Must go down.
V = 1 m/s

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Copyright 2011, C. Stephen Murray