IMPULSE AND MOMENTUM

1. Cardo has a 0.33 long rifle with a hypervelocity bullet weigh around 3.5 g with a speed of
750 m/s. What must be the speed of an 80 kg man to match the momentum of Cardo’s
bullet?

Solution:
Since the momentum of the bullet is not given in the problem, we must first solve for the
magnitude of the momentum of the bullet and substituting values.

p=mv
m= 3.5g
v= 750 m/s
p= (3.5 g) (750 m/s) = 2625 g.m/s

In momentum, the SI unit should be kg.m/s, therefore it must be converted to kg.

1𝑘𝑔 2625 𝑘𝑔
2625g × 1000𝑔 = = 2.625 kg.m/s,
1000
or you may convert it from the mass which is the 3.5 g into kg.
1𝑘𝑔 3.5 𝑘𝑔
3.5g × 1000𝑔 = = 0.0035 kg
1000
P=mv
P= (0.0035 kg) (750m/s) = 2.625 kg. m/s

For the 80 kg man to match the momentum of Cardo’s bullet, his speed must be; since we
are finding for its speed, the formula must be:
𝑝
v=
𝑚
p = 2.625 kg.m/s
m = 80 kg
2.625 𝑘𝑔.𝑚/𝑠
v== = 0.0328 m/s ≈ 3.28×10-2 m/s.
80 𝑘𝑔
This means that the man should only move about 32 mm per second to match the
momentum of Cardo’s bullet.

2. A new comer player catches a 250 g ball moving at 35.0 m/s in 0.1 s. An expert player
catches the same ball in 2.0 s by slightly taking back his hand during the catch. Find the
forces by the ball on the hands of the two payers.

Solution:
This is a case that involves impulse-momentum theorem. Thus, Ft=mv-mv0 shall
be used for the force exerted by the ball on the hands of the two players. The mass of the
ball is 250 g and its speed is 35.0 m/s. the mass of the ball should be converted to kilograms.

1𝑘𝑔
250 g× 1000𝑔 = 0.25 kg

a. For the new comer player,

m = 250 g = 0.25 kg
vf = 0
vi = 35.0 m/s
t = 0.1 s
F=mv−mv0 (0.35 𝑘𝑔)(0)−(0.25 𝑘𝑔)(35.0 𝑚/𝑠)
F= = = -87.5 ≈ -88 N.
𝑡 0.1 𝑠
This is the force exerted by the hand of the catcher on the ball. The ball in turn exerts an
equal but opposite reaction force to the hand, which is 88 N.

b. For the professional player

m = 250 g = 0.25 kg
vf = 0
vi = 35.0 m/s
t = 2.0 s
F=mv−mv0 (0.35 𝑘𝑔)(0)−(0.25 𝑘𝑔)(35.0 𝑚/𝑠)
F= = = -4.375 ≈ -4.3 N.
𝑡 2.0 𝑠

The force exerted by the ball to the hand is approximately 4.3 N.

OBSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM

1. Nathan Koo is a 55 kg student uses an improvised 80 kg floater to cross a heavily
flooded street. He noticed that as he jumps to the sidewalk opposite the street with a
speed of 2.5 m/s relative to the flood, the floater moves away. With what speed will the
floater move relative to the flood? Assume that the floater is motionless before the
student jumps to the foot path. Neglect fluid friction.
Solution:
Consider the floater and the student as an isolated system. Let subscripts F and S
represents floater and student, respectively. The momentum of the system before the
student jumps is equal to zero. Applying mAVA2 + mBVB2 = mAVA1 + mBVB1,
0 = mSvS + mFvF
Since we are finding the speed of the floater therefore the formula will be like this,
𝑚𝑆 𝑣𝑆
VF = - 𝑚𝐹
(55 𝑘𝑔)(2.5 𝑚/𝑠)
= = -1.71875 m/s ≈ -1.72 m/s
80 𝑘𝑔

The floater moves at a speed of 1.72 m/s. The negative sign of vF means that the
floater moves against the flood.
 2. Starla accidentally dropped a 0. 550 kg cup to the floor. The cup broke into three pieces:
a 0.150 kg piece moves in the +y-direction with a speed of 1.5 m/s and a 0.075 kg piece
in the +x-direction at a speed of 2.0 m/s. Find (a) the mass of the third piece and (b) the
horizontal and vertical component of its velocity.
Solution:
The mass of the cup is 0.550 kg. The plate breaks into three pieces. The respective
masses and velocities of the two pieces with their corresponding momenta are shown
in the table below. The momentum of the two pieces (p1 and p2) are computed using
p = mv.
p1 = m1v1 (along +y-direction)
p1 = (0.150 kg) (1.5 m/s) = 0.225 kg.m/s
p2 = m2v2 (along +x-direction)
p2 = (0.075 kg) (2.0 m/s) = 0.15 kg.m/s
Components of
Mass (kg) Velocity (m/s) Momentum(kg.m/s) Momentum(kg.m/s)
Horizontal Vertical
m1 = 0.150 v1 = 1.5 along +y-direction p1 = 0.225 along +y-direction p1x = 0 p1y = 0.225
m2 = 0.075 v2 = 2.0 along +x-direction p2 = 0.15 along +x-direction P2x = 0.15 p2y = 0
m3 =? v3 =? p3 =? P3x =? p3y =?

a. m3 = mt – m1 – m2
= 0.550 kg – 0.150 kg – 0.075 kg
m3 = 0.325 kg
b. To determine the horizontal (v3y) components of the velocity of the third piece,
apply the conservation of momentum for the horizontal and vertical momenta.
Because the cup has no horizontal motion as it falls on the floor, there is no
horizontal momentum before the interaction. The conservation of horizontal
momentum gives
0 = p2x + p3x
-p2x = p3x
-0.15 = p3x
𝑝3𝑥
Therefore, v3x = 𝑚3
−0.15 𝑘𝑔.𝑚/𝑠
= = -0.4615 m/s ≈ 0.46 m/s.
0.325 𝑘𝑔
 The conservation of vertical momentum gives
0 = 0.225 kg.m/s + p3y
-0.225 kg.m/s = p3y
𝑝3𝑦
v3y = 𝑚3
−0.225 𝑘𝑔.𝑚/𝑠
= 0.325 𝑘𝑔

= -0.6923 m/s ≈ -0.69 m/s

COLLISIONS

1. Two cars A and B are approaching each other with velocities 30.5 m/s and 50.3
m/s, respectively. The mass of car A is 950 kg, while that of car B is 1200 kg. (a)
Find the velocity of the two bodies after impact, assuming that the collision is
perfectly inelastic. (b) Find the kinetic energy lost during collision.
Given:
vA = 30.5 m/s vB = -50.3 m/s
mA = 950 kg mB = 1200 kg
Solution:
a. Consider “to the right” as the positive direction and “to the left” as the negative
direction. Car A is moving to the right and Car B is moving to the left.
Therefore, vA1 is at + 30.5 m/s and vB1 is -50.3 m/s. the collision is perfectly
inelastic, that is, the final mass is the sum of the masses of the two cars and the
final velocity is the same for both cars. Therefore, manipulating
mAvA2 + mBvB2 = mAvA1 + mBvB1 and substituting values,

Given:
vA = 30.5 m/s vB = -50.3 m/s
mA = 950 kg mB = 1200 kg

𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1 (950 𝑘𝑔)(30.5𝑚/𝑠)+(1200 𝑘𝑔)(−50.3 𝑚/𝑠)

v= =
𝑚𝐴 +𝑚𝐵 950 𝑘𝑔+1200 𝑘𝑔

= -14.5976 m/s ≈ -14.6 m/s

The negative sign means that the two cars are now moving to the left. This
is the same as the direction of body B, which has greater initial momentum than
body A.
 b. The kinetic energy lost is the difference between the kinetic energy before and
after collision.
1 1 1 1
Kbefore = 2 𝑚𝐴 (𝑣𝐴1 )2 + 2 𝑚𝐵 (𝑣𝐵1 )2 = 2 (950 kg) (30.5 m/s)2 + 2 (1200 kg) (-50.3 m/s)2

= 1959922.75 J ≈ 1959923 J
1 1
Kafter = 2 (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 )𝑣2 = 2 (950 kg + 1200 kg) (-14.6 m/s)2

= 229147 J
Klost = Kbefore - Kafter
= 1959923 J – 229147 J
= 1730776 J
2. How fast each car is moving after colliding?
Given:
vA = 30.5 m/s vB = -50.3 m/s
mA = 950 kg mB = 1200 kg
mAvA1 + mBvB1 = mAvA2 + mBvB2
(950 kg) (30.5 m/s) + (1200 kg) (-50.3 m/s) = (950 kg) vA2 + (1200 kg) vB2
-31385 kg.m/s = (950 kg) vA2 + (1200 kg) vB2
For an elastic collision, the coefficient of restitution is equal to 1. Using
(𝑣𝐴2− 𝑣𝐵2 )
1=− 𝑣𝐴1− 𝑣𝐵1
(𝑣
𝐴2− 𝐵2 𝑣 )
1 = − 30.5𝑚/𝑠−(−50.3 𝑚/𝑠)

- vA2 + vB2 = 80.8 m/s

vB2 = 80.8m/s + vA2
-31385 kg.m/s = (950 kg) vA2 + (1200 kg) (80.8m/s+ vA2)
Solving for vA2
vA2 = -31385 kg.m/s = 950 kg vA2 + 96960 kg.m/s + 1200 kg vA2
-31385 kg.m/s -96960 kg.m/s = (950+1200) kg vA2
−65575 𝑘𝑔. 𝑚/𝑠 2150 𝑘𝑔 𝑣𝐴2
=
2150 𝑘𝑔 2150 𝑘𝑔
-30.5 m/s = 𝑣𝐴2

Solving for 𝑣𝐵2

Substitute 𝑣𝐴2= −30.5 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣𝐵2=80.8𝑚/𝑠+ 𝑣𝐴2
𝑣𝐵2=80.8𝑚/𝑠+ −30.5𝑚/𝑠
𝑣𝐵2=50.3𝑚/𝑠