FOUNDATION PHYSICS I

PHY 094
CHAPTER 6: Momentum and Collisions

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 Units of Chapter Six
6.1 Momentum and Impulse
6.2 Conservation of Momentum
6.3 Collisions
6.4 Glancing Collisions
6.5 Rocket Propulsion

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 Learning Outcome
At the end of this session, students should be able to:

Define momentum and impulse and state impulse-momentum

theorem.
Apply impulse-momentum theorem to find average forces
during collisions.
Apply conservation of momentum to the problem of recoil.
Define elastic, inelastic and perfectly inelastic collisions.
Apply conservation of momentum to one dimensional elastic and
inelastic collisions.
Solve two dimensional collisions using conservation of
momentum.
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 6.1: Momentum and Impulse

DEFINITION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM,P

*Momentum can be defined as "mass in

motion." All objects have mass; so if an
object is moving, then it has momentum - it
has its mass in motion.

* The amount of momentum that an object

has is dependent upon two variables: how
much object is moving and how fast the
object is moving. Momentum depends upon
the variables mass and velocity.
Momentum is a vector
Direction of momentum is the same as
the direction of the velocity.
 6.1: Momentum and Impulse
Momentum components

px mv x py mv y
Applies to two-dimensional motion

Momentum is related to kinetic energy

p2 1
KE mv 2
2m 2
 In order to change the momentum of an object, a force must
be applied
The time rate of change of momentum of an object is equal to
the net force acting on it
p m v f vi
Fnet
t t
Gives an alternative statement of Newton’s second law

7 Section 6.1
 Newton’s second law, as we wrote it before:

Newton’s original statement of the second law was in just this form:

The net force is the rate of

change of momentum with time

8 Section 6.1
 DEFINITION OF IMPULSE
The impulse of a force is the product of the average
force and the time interval during which the force acts:

Impulse is a vector, in the same direction as the

average force.
We can rewrite

as

So we see that

The impulse is equal to the change in momentum.

Impulse-Momentum Theorem
Case 1

Momentum before, Pi

v = negative (moving downward)

Momentum after, Pf

v = 0 m/s (not moving)

Change in Momentum after, ∆P

Section 6.1
Impulse-Momentum Theorem
Case 2

Momentum before, Pi

v = negative (moving downward)

Momentum after, Pf
v = positive(moving upward)

Change in Momentum after, ∆P

Section 6.1
Average Force in Impulse

The average force can be thought of as the

constant force that would give the same impulse
to the object in the time interval as the actual
time-varying force gives in the interval

The impulse imparted by a force during the

time interval Δt is equal to the area under the
force-time graph from the beginning to the end
of the time interval

The impulse is equal to the average force Fav t p

multiplied by the time interval
 Example 6-2
In a crash test, a car of mass 1.50 × 103 kg collides with a wall and
rebounds as in figure below. The initial and the final velocities of the
car are vi = –15.0 m/s and vf = 2.60 m/s, respectively. If the collision
lasts for 0.150 s, find
(a) the impulse delivered to the car due to the collision and
(b) the size and direction of the average force exerted on the car.
 Solution
a) the impulse delivered to the car due to the collision

b) the size and direction of the average force exerted on the car.
Example 2:
A 0.145-kg baseball is moving toward a batter with a speed of 95.0 mi/h, if the ball
and bat are in contact for 1.20 ms, calculate the impulse and average force if the
final speed of the baseball is115 mi/h.

Section 6.1
 6-1 Momentum and Impulse

Impulse Applied to Auto Collisions

The most important factor is the collision time, or the time it takes
the person to come to a rest
Increasing this time will reduce the chance of dying in a car
crash
Ways to increase the time
Seat belts - Restrain people so it takes more time for them to
stop
Air bags - It will also absorb some of the energy from the body
- It will spread out the area of contact
(Decreases the pressure and helps
prevent penetration wounds)
 6.2: Conservation of Momentum

The principle of conservation of momentum states 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
Specifically, the total momentum
before the collision will equal the
total momentum after the collision
• The momentum of each object will
change
• The total momentum of the system
remains constant

Section 6.2
* The net force acting on an object is the rate of change of its
momentum:

If the net force is zero, the momentum does not change:

Mathematically,

m1 v 1i m2 v 2i m1 v 1 f m2 v 2 f
Section 6.2
 6.3: Collisions
Momentum is conserved in any collision
Types of Collisions
Inelastic collisions (momentum is conserved but not kinetic energy)
Kinetic energy is not conserved
Some of the kinetic energy is converted into other types of energy such
as heat, sound, work to permanently deform an object (example: car
crash)
Perfectly inelastic collisions occur when the objects stick together
Not all of the KE is necessarily lost
Example: if two putty is collide, they stick together and move with
some common velocity after the collision.

Section 6.3
Elastic collision
Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved
Example: Billiard ball collisions
Actual collisions
Most collisions fall between elastic and perfectly inelastic
collisions
• Momentum is a vector In the remainder of this
quantity section, we will treat
• Direction is important perfectly inelastic collisions
• Be sure to have the correct and elastic collisions in one
signs dimension

Section 6.3
Perfectly Inelastic Collisions

When two objects stick together after the

collision, they have undergone a perfectly
inelastic collision
Momentum is conserved but kinetic
energy is not

pf pi KE f KE i
Conservation of momentum becomes

m1v1i m2 v 2i m1 m2 v f
 Example 6-4
A pickup truck with mass 1.80 × 103 kg is travelling eastbound at +15.0 m/s,
while a compact car with mass 9.00 × 102 kg is travelling westbound at –15.0
m/s. The vehicles collide head-on, becoming entangled.
( a) Find the speed of the entangled vehicles after the collision.
(b) Find the change in the velocity of each vehicle.
(c) Find the change in the kinetic energy of the system consisting of both
vehicles.
 Solution
a) Find the speed of the entangled vehicles after the collision.

b) Find the change in the velocity of each vehicle.

c) Find the change in the kinetic energy of the system consisting of both
vehicles.
Elastic Collisions

Both momentum and kinetic energy are

conserved

pf pi KE f KE i
Typically have two unknowns
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
m1v1i m2 v 2i m1v1 f m2 v 2 f
2 2 2 2

m1v1i m2 v 2i m1v1 f m2 v 2 f
Solve the equations simultaneously
A simpler equation can be used in place
of the KE equation

v1i v 2i v1 f v2 f Refer to your text book!

 Example 6-6
Two billiard balls of identical mass move toward each other as in figure below,
with the positive x-axis to the right (step 1 and step 2). Assume that the
collision between them is perfectly elastic. If the initial velocities of the balls
are +30.0 cm/s and –20.0 cm/s, what are the velocities of the balls after the
collision? Assume friction and rotation are unimportant.

Before

After
 Solution
what are the velocities of the balls after the collision?

Refer to your text book!

Summary of Types of Collisions

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic

energy are conserved
In an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved but
kinetic energy is not
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

Section 6.3
Sketches for 1-Dimensional
Perfectly Inelastic Collisions Problem
The objects stick together
Include all the velocity
directions
The “after” collision combines
the masses
Both move with the same
velocity

Section 6.3
 Sketches for 1-Dimensional
Elastic Collision Problems
Draw “before” and “after”
sketches
Label each object
Include the direction of
velocity
Keep track of subscripts

Section 6.3
 Exercise 6.3a
Perfectly Inelastic Collisions in One Dimension

A 10 000 kg railroad car, A moving at 24.0m/s is struck in the rear by an identical

railroad car, B at rest. If the vehicles stick together after the collision, what is their
speed immediately after colliding? (Assume that external forces maybe ignored)

Before collision

After collision

Section 6.3
Example 6.5 (Refer text book)

The mass of the block of wood

is 2.50-kg and the mass of the
bullet is 0.0100-kg. The block
swings to a maximum height of
0.650 m above the initial position.

(a)Find the velocity of the system

after the bullet embeds in the block.
(b) Calculate the initial speed of the
bullet

•Combine the concepts of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum

in elastic collisions
(a)Find the velocity of the system after the
bullet embeds in the block.

Apply conservation of energy after

collision

( KE PE ) after collision ( KE PE ) top

Before collision

1
m1 m2 v 2 sys 0 0 m1 m2 gh top
2
v 2 sys 2 gh
vsys 2 9.8m / s 2 (0.65m)

After collision
vsys 3.58m / s
Applying conservation of momentum

Pi Pf

m1v1i m2 v2i (m1 m2 )vsys

m1 m2 vsys Before collision

v1i
m1
0.01kg 2.5kg 3.58m / s
v1i
0.01kg
v1i 898m / s

After collision
 6.4: Glancing Collisions
For a general collision of two objects in three-dimensional space,
the conservation of momentum principle implies that the total
momentum of the system in each direction is conserved

m1v1ix m2 v 2ix m1v1 fx m2 v 2 fx

and

m1v1iy m2 v 2iy m1v1 fy m2 v 2 fy

Use subscripts for identifying the object, initial and final
velocities and components
 6.4: Glancing Collisions

The “after” velocities have x and y components

Momentum is conserved in the x direction and in the y direction
Apply conservation of momentum separately to each direction
 Example 6-8
A car with mass 1.50 × 103 kg travelling east at a speed of 25.0 m/s
collides at an intersection with a 2.50 × 103 kg van travelling north at a
speed of 20.0 m/s, as shown in figure below. Find the magnitude and
direction of the velocity of the wreckage after the collision, assuming
that the vehicles undergo a perfectly inelastic collisions (that is, they
stick together) and assuming that friction between the vehicles and the
road can be neglected.
 Solution
Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the wreckage
after the collision
 Solution
Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the wreckage
after the collision
 Exercise 6.3b
Perfectly Inelastic Collisions in Two Dimension

A car with a mass of 950 kg and a speed of 16 m/s

approaches an intersection as shown In figure. A 1300
kg minivan travelling at 21m/s is heading for the
same intersection. The car and minivan collide and
stick together. By using conservation of momentum,
find the velocity of the wrecked vehicles just after
the collision, assuming external forces can be ignored.

Section 6.3
 Exercise 6.3b, cont….

Free body diagram

41 Section 6.3
Exercise 6.3b, cont….

Section 6.3
 Exercise 6.4b
Elastic Collisions in Two Dimension

Consider the collision of two 7.0kg curling stones as depicted in figure below. One stone is at
rest initially, the other approaches with a speed v1=1.50m/s. The collision is not head-on and
after the collision stone 1 moves with a speed of v1’=0.610 m/s in a direction of 660 away
from the initial line of motion.What are the speed and direction of stone 2?

Section 6.4
 Exercise 6.4b, cont…

Answer:

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 Summary of Chapter 6
Linear momentum:
Momentum is a vector
Newton’s second law:
Impulse:
Impulse is a vector
The impulse is equal to the change in momentum
If the time is short, the force can be quite large
Momentum is conserved if the net external force is zero
 Summary of Chapter 6
Internal forces within a system always sum to zero
In collision, assume external forces can be ignored
Inelastic collision: kinetic energy is not conserved
Completely inelastic collision: the objects stick together
afterward
A one-dimensional collision takes place along a line

In two dimensions, conservation of momentum is applied

separately to each
Elastic collision: kinetic energy is conserved
 Don’t put in
half of the
effort
Unless you
are okay
with half of
the result

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