Momentum Momentum (p) of an object = product of its mass (m) and its velocity (v) p = m × v The unit for momentum is kg·m/s
Momentum Momentum is a separately conserved quantity different from energy If no net force is acting on an object or on a system of objects, momentum remains constant (or neither its magnitude nor its direction changes with time)
Momentum However, an object can transfer its momentum to another object We can understand this conservation mathematically as: m1v1i + m2v2i = m1v1f + m2v2f
Momentum Practice Problems: 1. What is the momentum of a child and wagon if the total mass of the child and wagon is 22 kg and the velocity is 1.5 m/s? 2. The parking brake on a 1200 kg automobile has broken, and the vehicle has reached a momentum of 7800 kg·m/s. What is the velocity of the vehicle? 3. A toy dart gun generates a dart with 0.140 kg·m/s momentum and a velocity of 4 m/s. What is the mass of the dart? 33 kg·m/s 6.5 m/s 0.035 kg