Momentum and impulse Cheat Sheet Edexcel FM1

𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚 = mv = 3 × 2 Example 3: Two particles 𝐴 and 𝐵 of masses 2𝑘𝑔 and 5𝑘𝑔 respectively are moving towards each other along the same straight line on a smooth
The units of momentum are 𝑘𝑔𝑚𝑠 −1, or 𝑁𝑠. = 6 𝑘𝑔𝑚𝑠−1
Momentum in one dimension horizontal surface. The particles collide. Before the collision the speeds of 𝐴 and 𝐵 are 6𝑚𝑠 −1 and 4𝑚𝑠 −1 respectively. After the collision the
direction of motion of 𝐴 is reversed and its speed is 1.5𝑚𝑠 −1 . Find:

▪ The momentum of a body with mass 𝑚 moving with velocity 𝑣 is 𝑚𝑣. (a) the speed and direction of 𝐵 after the collision.
(b) the magnitude of impulse given by 𝐴 to 𝐵 in the collision.
If a constant force 𝐹 acts for a time 𝑡, then the impulse is defined to be 𝐹 × 𝑡. The units of impulse are therefore 𝑁𝑠 (Newton seconds). A
(a) We begin by drawing a diagram:
more helpful formulation of the impulse is:

▪ 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒 = 𝑚𝑣 − 𝑚𝑢 = 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑚, where 𝑣 is the velocity after and 𝑢 the velocity before.
This is known as the impulse-momentum principle. Applying 𝐶. 𝐿. 𝑀. and solving for 𝑣: 2ሺ6) + 5ሺ−4) = 2ሺ−1.5) + 5ሺ-𝑣)
−8 = −3 - 5𝑣
Remember that impulse is a vector quantity. An example of an impulse could be a baseball being hit by a bat, or a collision between two ⇒ 5𝑣 = 5
snooker balls. ⇒ 𝑣 = 1𝑚𝑠−1
Stating the direction: We assumed 𝐵 to be moving in the same direction, as A and 𝑣 turned
out to be positive so 𝐵 is in fact moving in the same direction as 𝐴
Example 1: A ball of mass 0.2𝑘𝑔 hits a fixed vertical wall at right angles with Example 2: A ball of mass 0.2𝑘𝑔, moving along a horizontal surface, hits a (b) Using 𝐼 = 𝑚ሺ𝑣 − 𝑢). We could consider A or B here, since they 𝐼 = 𝑚ሺ𝑣 − 𝑢) = 2ሺ−1.5 − 6) = −15 𝑁𝑠
speed 3.5𝑚𝑠 −1 . The ball rebounds with speed 2.5𝑚𝑠 −1 . Find the fixed vertical wall at right angles. The ball rebounds at right angles to the both experience an equal impulse. It is safer to use 𝐴 though since ∴ ȁ𝐼ȁ = 15 𝑁𝑠
magnitude of the impulse exerted on the wall by the ball. wall with speed 3.5𝑚𝑠 −1 . Given that the magnitude of the impulse exerted we were given the initial/final speeds.
on the ball by the wall is 2 𝑁𝑠, find the speed of the ball just before it hits
We begin by drawing a diagram: the wall.

We begin by drawing a diagram:

Momentum as a vector
You also need to be able to use the impulse-momentum principle and the principle of conservation of momentum to solve problems
where velocities or impulses are given in vector form. The same procedure applies, but now with vectors.

Example 4: A cricket ball of mass 0.5𝑘𝑔 is hit by a bat. Immediately before being hit the velocity of the ball is ሺ20𝑖 − 4𝑗)𝑚𝑠 −1 and immediately
We take the left direction to be 𝑢 = −3.5, 𝑣 = 2.5 afterwards it is ሺ−16𝑖 + 8𝑗)𝑚𝑠 −1 . Find the magnitude of the impulse exerted om the ball by the bat, and the angle between this impulse and 𝒊.
positive and note the initial and We take the left direction to be 𝐼 = 2, 𝑣 = 3.5
final velocities. positive and note the impulse u = -u as it is opposite to the our
We begin by applying the impulse-momentum principle: 𝐼 = 𝑚ሺ𝑣 − 𝑢) = 0.5൫−16𝑖 + 8𝑗 − ሺ20𝑖 − 4𝑗)൯
Using 𝐼 = 𝑚𝑣 - 𝑚𝑢: 𝐼 = 0.2ሺ2.5 − −3.5) = 0.2ሺ6) and final velocity: positive direction
= 0.5ሺ−36𝑖 + 12𝑗) = −18𝑖 + 6𝑗
= 1.2 𝑁𝑠 Using 𝐼 = 𝑚𝑣 = 𝑚𝑢: 2 = 0.2ሺ3.5 − - u) = 0.7 + 2u
1.3 = 0.2u --> u = 6.5 m/s Applying 𝐶. 𝐿. 𝑀. and solving for 𝑣: ∴ ȁ𝐼ȁ = ඥሺ−18)2 + ሺ6)2 = 6ξ10 𝑁𝑠

Drawing a diagram showing the impulse vector:

The angle we want to find is 𝜃.

Conservation of momentum
You can use the principle of conservation of momentum to solve problems involving collisions between two bodies. The principle of
conservation of momentum (commonly abbreviated as 𝑃. 𝐶. 𝐿. 𝑀. or 𝐶. 𝐿. 𝑀. ) states that: Working out 𝛼: 6 1
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝛼 = =
18 3
1
▪ total momentum before impact = total momentum after impact ∴ 𝛼 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 ൬ ൰ = 18.4°
3
Subtract 𝛼 from 180 to find 𝜃: 𝜃 = 180 − 𝛼 = 180 − 18.4 = 162° ሺ3 𝑠. 𝑓.)
If we have two particles with masses 𝑚1 and 𝑚2 respectively moving with velocities, 𝑢1 and 𝑢2 respectively before the collision and
velocities 𝑣1 and 𝑣2 respectively after the collision then we can rewrite this as:
Example 5: A particle 𝑃 of mass 0.5𝑘𝑔 is moving with velocity ሺ4𝑖 + 𝑗)𝑚𝑠 −1 when it receives an impulse ሺ2𝑖 − 𝑗)𝑁𝑠. Show that the kinetic energy
▪ 𝑚1 𝑢1 + 𝑚2 𝑢2 = 𝑚1 𝑣1 + 𝑚2 𝑣2 gained by 𝑃 as a result of the impulse is 12𝐽.

You should remember to perform the following steps whenever solving collision problems: (a) We begin by applying the impulse-momentum principle: 𝐼 = 𝑚ሺ𝑣 − 𝑢)
2𝑖 − 𝑗 = 0.5ሺ𝑣 − 4𝑖 − 𝑗)
Solving for 𝑣: 4𝑖 − 2𝑗 = 𝑣 − 4𝑖 − 𝑗
▪ Draw a collision diagram detailing the velocities before and after. 𝑣 = 8𝑖 − 𝑗
▪ Take one direction to be positive. Finding the magnitude of the final speed: ȁ𝑣ȁ = ඥሺ8)2 + ሺ−1)2 = ξ65 𝑚𝑠−1
▪ Apply the 𝐶. 𝐿. 𝑀. and/or the impulse-momentum principle, depending on what is required.
Finding the magnitude of the initial speed: ȁ𝑢ȁ = ඥሺ4)2 + ሺ1)2 = ξ17 𝑚𝑠−1
The following fact is important for questions involving impulses: Finding the K.E. before and after the impulse: 1 2 17
𝐾. 𝐸.𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 = ሺ0.5)൫ξ17൯ = 𝐽
2 4
▪ When two bodies collide, they exert an impulse on each other of equal magnitude but in the opposite direction. 1 2 65
𝐾. 𝐸.𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 = ሺ0.5)൫ξ65൯ = 𝐽
2 4
𝐺𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝐾. 𝐸. = 𝐾. 𝐸.𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 − 𝐾. 𝐸.𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 65 17
∴ 𝐾. 𝐸. 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 = − = 12𝐽
4 4
This is a consequence of Newton’s 3rd law.

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