Linear Momentum

• This is a new fundamental quantity, like force, energy.

It is a vector quantity (points in same direction as
velocity).
• The linear momentum p of an object of mass m moving
with a velocity v is defined to be the product of the
mass and velocity:
 
p  mv
• Momentum depend on an object’s mass and velocity

August 5, 2019
 Linear Momentum, cont’d
• Linear momentum is a vector quantity p  mv
– Its direction is the same as the direction of the
velocity
• The dimensions of momentum are ML/T
• The SI units of momentum are kg m / s
• Momentum can be expressed in component
form:
px = mvx py = mvy pz = mvz

August 5, 2019
 Newton’s Law and Momentum
• Newton’s Second Law can be used to relate the
momentum of an object to the resultant force
acting on it  
  v  (mv )
Fnet  ma  m 
t t
• The change in an object’s momentum divided by
the elapsed time equals the constant net force
acting on the object
 
p change in momentum
  Fnet
t time interval
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 Impulse
• When a single, constant force acts on the
object, there is an impulse delivered to the
object  
– I  Ft
– I is defined as the impulse
– The equality is true even if the force is not constant
– Vector quantity, the direction is the same as the
direction of the force
 
p change in momentum
  Fnet
t time interval
August 5, 2019
 Impulse-Momentum Theorem
• The theorem states
that the impulse
acting on a system is
equal to the change in
momentum of the
system
  
p  Fnet t  I
   
I  p  mv f  mvi

August 5, 2019
 Calculating the Change of Momentum

p  pafter  pbefore
 mvafter  mvbefore
 m(vafter  vbefore )
For the teddy bear

p  m 0  (v)  mv
For the bouncing ball

p  m v  (v)  2mv
August 5, 2019
 How Good Are the Bumpers?
 In a crash test, a car of mass 1.5x103 kg collides with a wall and
rebounds as in figure. The initial and final velocities of the car are vi=-15
m/s and vf = 2.6 m/s, respectively. If the collision lasts for 0.15 s, find
(a) the impulse delivered to the car due to the collision
(b) the size and direction of the average force exerted on the car

August 5, 2019
 How Good Are the Bumpers?
 In a crash test, a car of mass 1.5 x 103 kg collides with a wall and
rebounds as in figure. The initial and final velocities of the car are vi=-15
m/s and vf = 2.6 m/s, respectively. If the collision lasts for 0.15 s, find
(a) the impulse delivered to the car due to the collision
(b) the size and direction of the average force exerted on the car

pi  mvi  (1.5 103 kg)( 15m / s)  2.25 10 4 kg  m / s

p f  mv f  (1.5 103 kg)(2.6m / s)  0.39 104 kg  m / s

I  p f  pi  mv f  mvi
 (0.39 10 4 kg  m / s)  (2.25 10 4 kg  m / s)
 2.64 10 4 kg  m / s

p I 2.64 104 kg  m / s
Fav     1.76 105 N
t t 0.15s
August 5, 2019
Conservation of Momentum
• In an isolated and closed
system, the total momentum of
the system remains constant in
time.
– Isolated system: no external forces
– Closed system: no mass enters or
leaves
– The linear momentum of each
colliding body may change
– The total momentum P of the
system cannot change.
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Conservation of Momentum
• Start from impulse-momentum
theorem
  
F21t  m1v1 f  m1v1i
  
F12t  m2v2 f  m2v2i

 
• Since F21t   F12t

   
• Then m1v1 f  m1v1i  (m2 v2 f  m2 v2i )

   
• So m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f

August 5, 2019
 Conservation of Momentum
• When no external forces act on a system consisting of
two objects that collide with each other, the total
momentum of the system remains constant in time
   
Fnet t  p  p f  pi
 
• When Fnet  0 then p  0
• For an isolated system
 
p f  pi
• Specifically, the total momentum before the collision will
equal the total momentum after the collision
   
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f
August 5, 2019
 The Archer
 An archer stands at rest on frictionless ice and fires a 0.5-kg arrow
horizontally at 50.0 m/s. The combined mass of the archer and bow is
60.0 kg. With what velocity does the archer move across the ice after
firing the arrow?
pi  p f
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f
m1  60.0kg, m2  0.5kg, v1i  v2i  0, v2 f  50m / s, v1 f  ?

0  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f
m2 0.5kg
v1 f   v2 f   (50.0m / s)  0.417m / s
m1 60.0kg
August 5, 2019
 Types of Collisions
• Momentum is conserved in any collision
• Inelastic collisions: rubber ball and hard ball
– Kinetic energy is not conserved
– Perfectly inelastic collisions occur when the objects
stick together
• Elastic collisions: billiard ball
– both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved
• Actual collisions
– Most collisions fall between elastic and perfectly
inelastic collisions

August 5, 2019
 More about Perfectly Inelastic
Collisions
• When two objects stick together
after the collision, they have
undergone a perfectly inelastic
collision
• Conservation of momentum
m1v1i  m2 v2i  (m1  m2 )v f
m1v1i  m2 v2i
vf 
m1  m2
• Kinetic energy is NOT conserved

August 5, 2019
 An SUV Versus a Compact
 An SUV with mass 1.80x103 kg is travelling eastbound at
+15.0 m/s, while a compact car with mass 9.00x102 kg
is travelling westbound at -15.0 m/s. The cars collide
head-on, becoming entangled.

(a) Find the speed of the entangled

cars after the collision.
(b) Find the change in the velocity
of each car.
(c) Find the change in the kinetic
energy of the system consisting
of both cars.
August 5, 2019
 An SUV Versus a Compact
(a) Find the speed of the entangled m  1.80 103 kg, v  15m / s
cars after the collision.
1 1i

m2  9.00 10 kg, v2i  15m / s

2

pi  p f

m1v1i  m2 v2i  (m1  m2 )v f

m1v1i  m2 v2i
vf 
m1  m2
v f  5.00m / s

August 5, 2019
 An SUV Versus a Compact
(b) Find the change in the velocity m1  1.80 103 kg, v1i  15m / s
of each car.
m2  9.00 102 kg, v2i  15m / s
v f  5.00m / s

v1  v f  v1i  10.0m / s

v2  v f  v2i  20.0m / s

m1v1  m1 (v f  v1i )  1.8 104 kg  m / s

m2 v2  m2 (v f  v2i )  1.8 104 kg  m / s

m1v1  m2 v2  0
August 5, 2019
 An SUV Versus a Compact
(c) Find the change in the kinetic
m
energy of the system consisting 1  1.80  10 3
kg, v1i  15m / s
of both cars. m2  9.00 102 kg, v2i  15m / s

v f  5.00m / s

1 1
KEi  m1v1i  m2 v22i  3.04 105 J
2

2 2
1 1
KE f  m1v1 f  m2 v22 f  3.38 10 4 J
2

2 2
KE  KE f  KEi  2.70 105 J

August 5, 2019
 More About Elastic Collisions
• Both momentum and kinetic energy
are conserved
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f
1 1 1 1
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v22 f
2 2 2

2 2 2 2

• Typically have two unknowns

• Momentum is a vector quantity
– Direction is important
– Be sure to have the correct signs
• Solve the equations simultaneously

August 5, 2019
 Elastic Collisions
• A simpler equation can be used in place of the KE
equation
1 1 1 1
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v22 f
2 2 2

2 2 2 2
m1 (v12i  v12f )  m2 (v22 f  v22i )
v  v  ( v  v )
m1 (v11i i v1 f )(v21ii  v1 f )  m21(fv2 f  v22i )(f v2 f  v2i )
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f m1 (v1i  v1 f )  m2 (v2 f  v2i )

v1i  v1 f  v2 f  v2i
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f
August 5, 2019
Summary of Types of Collisions
• In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic
energy are conserved
v1i  v1 f  v2 f  v2i m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f

• In an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved but

kinetic energy is not
m1v1i  m2 v2i  m1v1 f  m2 v2 f

• In a perfectly inelastic collision, momentum is conserved,

kinetic energy is not, and the two objects stick together
after the collision, so their final velocities are the same
m1v1i  m2 v2i  (m1  m2 )v f
August 5, 2019
 The Center of Mass
• How should we define
the position of the
moving body ?
• What is y for Ug =
mgy ?
• Take the average
position of mass. Call
“Center of Mass”
(COM or CM)
August 5, 2019
 The Center of Mass
• There is a special point in a system or
object, called the center of mass, that
moves as if all of the mass of the system
is concentrated at that point
• The CM of an object or a system is the
point, where the object or the system can
be balanced in the uniform gravitational
field
August 5, 2019
 The Center of Mass
• The center of mass of any symmetric object lies on an
axis of symmetry and on any plane of symmetry
– If the object has uniform density
• The CM may reside inside the body, or outside the body

August 5, 2019
 Where is the Center of Mass ?
• The center of mass of particles
• Two bodies in 1 dimension

m1 x1  m2 x2
xCM 
m1  m2

August 5, 2019
 Where is the Center of Mass ?
• Assume m1 = 1 kg, m2 = 3 kg, and x1 = 1
m, x2 = 5 m, where is the center of mass
of these two objects? m1 x1  m2 x2
xCM 
A) xCM = 1 m m1  m2

B) xCM = 2 m
C) xCM = 3 m
D) xCM = 4 m
E) xCM = 5 m
August 5, 2019
 Center of Mass
for a System of Particles
• Two bodies and one dimension

• General case: n bodies and three dimension

– where M = m1 + m2 + m3 +…

August 5, 2019
Sample Problem : Three particles of masses m1 = 1.2 kg,
m2 = 2.5 kg, and m3 = 3.4 kg form an equilateral triangle of
edge length a = 140 cm. Where is the center of mass of this
system? (Hint: m1 is at (0,0), m2 is at (140 cm,0), and m3 is
at (70 cm, 120 cm), as shown in the figure below.)

1 n
m1 x1  m2 x2  m3 x3
xCM 
M

i 1
mi xi 
m1  m2  m3
1 n
m1 y1  m2 y2  m3 y3
yCM 
M

i 1
mi yi 
m1  m2  m3

xCM  82.8 cm and yCM  57.5 cm

August 5, 2019