Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

Objective: 1. Student will be able to define the momentum of an object.

2. Student will be able to define momentum ( p ) as the product of mass
m and velocity (v ) , i.e. p = mv .
3. Student will be able to state the principle of conservation of momentum.
4. Student will be able to describe applications of conservation of momentum.
5. Student will be able to solve problems involving momentum.
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2.4 Analysing Momentum
2.4.1 What is Momentum?
1. It is very difficult to stop a bullet which travels at a very high speed or a lorry
which has a large mass.
2. It is easier for a person to stop while he is walking than while he is running.
3. The resistance to a change of state of motion of an object depends on two factors
– mass and velocity of the object.
4. The linear momentum, p , of an object of mass, m moving in a straight line
with a velocity, v is defined as the product of its mass and velocity.
Momentum = mass × velocity
p = mv
5. Momentum is a measure of motion. It is a vector quantity. Its direction is the
same as the velocity and its unit is kg m s −1 or N s.
6. Figure below shows two trolleys moving towards each other.

By taking the direction towards the right as the positive direction:

Momentum of trolley A = m A u A = 2 ×3 = 6 kg m s −1
Momentum of trolley B = m B u B = 2 ×( − 4 ) = −8 kg m s −1
7. The momentum of a stationary object is zero as its velocity, v = 0 .

2.4.2 Principle of Conservation of Momentum

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

1. The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum in a

closed system is constant, if no external force acts on the system – that is, the
momentum of all objects before a collision equals the momentum of all objects
after a collision.
2. The principle of conservation of momentum is true for the following:
a. Collision of two objects
b. Explosion

Collision of Two Objects

 There are two types of Collision:
(a) Elastic collision
 In an elastic collision, both objects move independently at their
respective velocities after the collision.

 According to the principle of conservation of momentum,

Total momentum before collision = Total momentum after collision

m1u1 + m2 u 2 = m1v1 + m2 v 2

 Examples of elastic collisions:

(b) Inelastic collision

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

 In an inelastic collision, the two objects combine and move

together with a common velocity after the collision.

 According to the principle of conservation of momentum,

Total momentum before collision = Total momentum after collision

m1u1 + m2 u 2 = ( m1 + m2 ) v

Explosion
 Total momentum is conserved in an explosion, i.e. total
momentum before and after the explosion is zero.
 Examples of explosions:

Recoil

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

 Figure below shoes the recoil of a cannon after it is fired.

 By the principle of conservation of momentum,

Total momentum after recoil = Total momentum before recoil
mv = MV
 The equation shows that the forward momentum is equal to the backward
momentum.

Solving Problems Related to Momentum

Example 2.4.1:
Block A of mass 5 kg is moving with velocity 2 m s −1 and collides with another
stationary block B of unknown mass. After the collision, block A moves with velocity
0.5 m s −1 . Given that the collision is elastic find the momentum of block B after the
collision.
Solution:
m Au A + mB u B = m Av A + mB v B

( 5)( 2) + 0 = ( 5)( 0.5) + mB v B

m B v B = 7.5 kg m s −1
Thus, the momentum of block B after the collision is 7.5 kg m s −1 .

Example 2.4.2:

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

A truck travels at a velocity of 15 m s −1 collides head-on with a car that travels at

30 m s −1 . The mass of the truck and the car are 6 000 kg and 1 500 kg respectively.
a) What is the momentum of the truck before the collision?
b) What is the momentum of the car before the collision?
c) What is the total momentum of the car and the truck?
d) What is the final velocity if the two vehicles after the collision if they stick
together?
Solution:
a) Momentum of the truck = mt u t
= ( 6000 ×15 ) kg m s −1
= 9.0 ×10 4 kg m s −1
b) Momentum of the car = mc u c
= − (1500 ×30 ) kg m s −1
= − 4.5 ×10 4 kg m s −1

c) Total momentum = mt u t + mc u c
= (9.0 ×10 4 ) + ( − 4.5 ×10 4 ) kg m s −1
= 4.5 ×10 4 kg m s −1

d) mt u t + mc u c = ( mt + mc ) × v
4.5 ×10 4 = ( 6000 +1500 ) ×v
v = 6 m s −1
Final velocity of the vehicles = 6 m s −1

Example 2.4.3:
A 2 kg block of ice is at rest on a frictionless surface. A 7 g bullet moving at 100 m
s −1 hits the ice and passes through it with a final velocity of 50 m s −1 .

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

(a) Find the change of momentum of the bullet.

(b) Find the resulting velocity of the block of ice.
Solution:
(a) Change of momentum of bullet = ( 0.007 )( 50 −100 )
= − 0.35 kg m s −1
(b) By conservation of momentum,
Change of momentum of bullet = - change of momentum of the ice
0.35
Thus, velocity of ice = = 0.175 kg m s −1
2

Example 2.4.4:
An instructor fires a pistol which has a mass of 1.50 kg. If the bullet weighs 10 g and
it reaches a velocity of 300 m s −1 after shooting, what is the the recoil velocity of
the pistol?

Solution:
Total momentum after explosion = Total momentum before explosion
1.5 ×( − v ) + ( 0.01 ×300 ) = 0
1.5 v = 3
v = 2 m s −1

Example 2.4.5:
A man jumps from boat A to boat B. The two boats are stationary initially and they
are identical of mass 300 kg. The mass of the man is 50 kg and the speed of his jump
is 1 m s −1 .

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Form 4 Physics – Chapter 2 – Lesson 4

(a) Find the velocity of the boats A and B after the man jumps.
(b) After his first jump, he tries to jump back to boat A immediately with the
same speed in this second jump. Find the velocity of boat B after his second
jump.
(c) Find the velocity of boat A after he lands on boat A.
Solution:
(a) When the man leaves boat A,

vA = −
( 50 )(1) = −0.17 m s −1
300
After he lands on boat B,
( 50 )(1) = ( 300 + 50 ) v B
( 50 )(1) = −0.14 m
Thus, v B = − s −1
350
(b) By the conservation of momentum,
( 300 + 50)( 0.14) = ( − 50) + ( 300)( v B )
( 350 )( 0.14 ) + 50 m
Thus, v B = = 0.33 s −1
300
(c) By the conservation of momentum,
( 300)( 0.17 ) + 50 = ( 350)( v A )
( 300 )( 0.17 ) + 50 m
Thus, v A = − = −0.29 s −1
350

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