Momentum and Impulse in Mechanics

1 Prerequisites for Chapter

In the following chapter, the following results from previous modules will be

used without further comment.

1. Forces as Vectors: Forces are often represented as vectors. For ex-

ample:

F = 3i − 2j,

where:

• i: a unit vector in the horizontal direction,

• j: a unit vector in the vertical direction.

Steps to Analyze the Force:

• Magnitude of the Force: The magnitude of the force is given

by:
p √ √
|F| = (3)2 + (−2)2 = 9+4= 13.

• Direction of the Force: The direction of the resultant force is

the angle θ it makes with the positive horizontal axis. This angle

is calculated using:

 
−1 −2
θ = tan ≈ −33.69◦ .
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 The negative angle indicates that the direction of the force vector

is below the horizontal.

• Direction Statement: Conclusion: The direction of the force

can also be stated as 33.69◦ below the positive i-axis.

2. SUVAT equations The SUVAT equations relate the motion of a par-

ticle under constant acceleration. These are:

v = u + at,
1
s = ut + at2 ,
2
v 2 = u2 + 2as,
(u + v)
s= t,
2

where:

• u: initial velocity,

• v: final velocity,

• a: acceleration,

• s: displacement,

• t: time.

Example 1. A particle moves in a straight line with constant acceler-

ation a = 2 m/s2 and initial velocity u = 5 m/s. Find the velocity after

t = 3 seconds.

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 Solution: Using v = u + at,

v = 5 + 2(3) = 11 m/s.

3. Newton’s Second Law of Motion Newton’s second law relates the

force acting on a body to its mass and acceleration:

F = ma.

Example 2. A body of mass 2 kg is acted upon by a force F N. The

body starts from rest and moves in a straight line. After 3 seconds, the

displacement is 20 m. Find the magnitude of F.

Solution: The equation for displacement is:

1
s = ut + at2 .
2

Substitute u = 0, s = 20, and t = 3:

1
20 = 0 + a(3)2 .
2

9 40
20 = a ⇒ a= m/s2 .
2 9

Using F = ma:
40 80
F=2× = N.
9 9

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2 Momentum in one direction

Definition 1. Momentum is a vector quantity defined as the product of an

object’s mass and its velocity. It is given by the formula:

p = mv

where p is the momentum, m is the mass of the object, and v is the velocity

vector.

Remark 1. It is important to note that:

• The direction of the velocity vector v is crucial in determining the

direction of the momentum vector p.

• Since momentum is a vector quantity, it not only has magnitude but

also direction, which aligns with the direction of the velocity.

Example 3. Consider a car with a mass of 1500 kg moving at a velocity of

22 m/s north. The momentum of the car is calculated as:

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Example 4. A ball of mass 0.2 kg is dropped from rest from a height of 10

meters. Calculate its momentum just before it hits the ground.

Example 5. A ball of mass 0.2 kg strikes a vertical wall at right angles with

an initial velocity of 3.5 ms−1 . After rebounding, it moves directly away from

the wall with a velocity of 2.5 ms−1 .

Solution:

• Initial Momentum: Momentum is given by p = mv. The initial

momentum of the ball is:

pinitial = (0.2)(3.5) = 0.7 kg · ms−1 .

• Final Momentum: The ball rebounds directly away from the wall,

so the final velocity is −2.5 ms−1 (negative because it is in the opposite

direction). The final momentum is:

pfinal = (0.2)(−2.5) = −0.5 kg · ms−1 .

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 • Change in Momentum: The change in momentum is calculated as:

∆p = pfinal − pinitial .

Substituting the values:

∆p = −0.5 − 0.7 = −1.2 kg · ms−1 .

• Interpretation: The negative sign indicates that the momentum change

is in the opposite direction to the initial momentum.

Impulse

Definition 2. If a constant force F acts for a time t, the impulse of the

force is defined as:

Impulse = F t

where F is the force in newtons (N) and t is the time in seconds (s). The

units of impulse are therefore Ns (newton-seconds).

Remark 2. Impulse can also be defined in terms of the change in momentum

of a body. Suppose a body of mass m is moving with an initial velocity u,

and a force F acts on it for a time t. From Newton’s second law:

v−u
F = ma = m ,
t

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where v is the final velocity. Multiplying both sides by t, we obtain:

F t = m(v − u).

Thus, impulse is the change in momentum:

Impulse = mv − mu,

where mv is the final momentum and mu is the initial momentum.

Example 6. A ball of mass 0.5 kg is initially moving with a velocity of

3 ms−1 . A constant force acts on the ball thus changing its velocity to 7 ms−1 .

Calculate the impulse given to the ball by the force.

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2.1 Practice Questions

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3 Conservation of Momentum

The law of conservation of momentum allows us to solve problems involving

the collision of two bodies. In such problems, two objects interact, exchanging

forces for a brief period, and their velocities change as a result.

The law of conservation of momentum states that the total momen-

tum of the system remains constant, provided no external forces act on the

system.

In particular, when there are two bodies of mass m1 and m2 respectively

with initial velocities u1 and u2 before impact, and final velocities v1 and v2

after impact, the conservation of momentum is expressed as:

m1 u1 + m2 u2 = m1 v1 + m2 v2 .

Remark 3. It is important to carefully account for the direction of motion

when calculating momentum, as it is a vector quantity. Always draw dia-

grams to visualise the situation, as this helps in determining the direction of

motion and ensures correct calculations.

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Example 7. Collision of Two Particles

A particle P of mass 2 kg moves at a velocity of 3 ms−1 . It collides with a

stationary particle Q of mass 1 kg. After the collision, particle Q moves with

a velocity of 7
3
ms−1 . Find the velocity of particle P after the collision, and

calculate the impulse on Q.

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Example 8. Consider a system involving two balls, A and B. Ball A has

a mass of 3 kg and is moving with a velocity of 3 m/s, while Ball B has a

mass of 2 kg and is moving with a velocity of 1 m/s in the opposite direction.

After colliding, Ball A moves with a velocity of 1 m/s and its direction gets

reversed.

1. Find the velocity of Ball B after impact.

2. Find the impulse on Ball A during the collision.

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4 Two-Dimensional Motion

The principles of conservation of momentum apply equally to objects moving

in two dimensions.

• In such cases, both momentum and impulse are represented as vectors.

• This vector representation allows for the analysis of motion in multiple

directions, taking into account the individual components of motion

along each axis.

• For example, the velocity

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Example 9. Consider a collision between two hockey pucks on a frictionless
 
4
ice surface. Puck A, with a mass of 2 kg, initially moves at ⃗uA =   m/s,
0
 
0
while Puck B, with a mass of 3 kg, initially moves at ⃗uB =   m/s. After
3
 
2
the collision, Puck A is observed moving at ⃗vA =   m/s.
2

1. Find the final velocity vector of Puck B.

2. The impulse experienced by Puck A due to the collision

Solution:

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4.1 Practice Exam questions

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