5.2 Representations of Changes in Momentum

Front

What is momentum?

Back

Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity, represented by the formula p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.

Front

How is the change in momentum calculated?

Back

The change in momentum (Δp) is calculated as the final momentum (pf) minus the initial momentum (pi), or Δp = pf - pi.

Front

What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

Back

The principle of conservation of momentum states that in a closed system, the total momentum before an event is equal to the total momentum after the event, provided no external forces act on it.

Front

What is impulse?

Back

Impulse is the change in momentum of an object when a force is applied over a period of time, calculated as Impulse = Force × Time (J = FΔt).

Front

How does a net force affect an object's momentum?

Back

A net force applied to an object results in a change in its momentum, with the magnitude of the change depending on the strength of the force and the duration it is applied.

Front

What is the relationship between force and momentum?

Back

The relationship is defined by Newton's second law, which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the rate of change of its momentum (F = Δp/Δt).

Front

What happens to momentum when two objects collide?

Back

In a collision, the total momentum of the two objects before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, assuming no external forces act on them.

Front

What is a force-time graph?

Back

A force-time graph shows how the force applied to an object changes over time, and the area under the graph represents the impulse applied to the object.

Front

How do you determine the greatest change in momentum from a force-time graph?

Back

The greatest change in momentum corresponds to the largest area under the force-time graph during a specific time interval.

Front

What is the effect of friction on momentum?

Back

Friction opposes motion and can reduce the momentum of an object by exerting a force in the opposite direction of its velocity.