Chapter 9: 4-7

Center of Mass
Conservation of Linear Momentum
 Main Concepts
• Linear momentum is Mass times Velocity
• Momentum is a vector quantity
• Momentum is conserved in the absence of
an outside force
• Momentum is changed by an Impulse
• Impulse is Force times Time
    
P  mV P  I  Ft
Momentum is a vector quantity
Initial

mV

Final
-mV

  
Change in momentum: P  PFINAL  PINIT
 (mV ) xˆ  (mV ) xˆ P

 2mVx
A block of wood is struck by a bullet. Is the block
more likely to be knocked over if the bullet is (A)
metal and embeds itself in the wood, or if the bullet
is (B) rubber and bounces off the wood? The mass
of the two bullets is the same.

1. (A), metal, because it would

transfer more energy to the
block.
2. (B), rubber, because it would
transfer more momentum to
the block (higher impulse).
3. Makes no difference
4. Sorry, I don’t believe in guns.
Relationship of Momentum and
Kinetic Energy

 
P  mV P 2 mV 
2
K 
1 2m 2m
K  mV 2
2 m 2V 2 1
  mV 2
P2 2m 2
K
2m
 Consequences of Momentum Conservation in
Elastic and Inelastic Collisions
•Linear momentum is conserved (unchanged) in a collision
•Kinetic energy is only conserved in an elastic collision
•Linear momentum can stay the same, even though K changes!

Before
V

M M

After INELASTIC collision

V/2
M M

Momentum: P=mV (conserved, doesn’t change before and after)

Kinetic Energy: Initial: K = ½ mV2

Final: K = ½ (2m) (V/2)2 = ¼ mV2
 Problem: Exploding Object
An object initially at rest breaks into two pieces as the result of an
explosion. One piece has twice the kinetic energy of the other piece. What
is the ratio of the masses of the two pieces? Which piece has the larger
mass?
V1 V2
M1 M2 M1 M2

 
Pf  m2V2  m1V1 x
INITIAL: FINAL:

Pi  0 P22 P12
Kf  
Ki  0 2m2 2m1
 K 2  K1

Conservation of Momentum: m2V2  m1V1

In this problem, K2 = 2K1

 Solution, Exploding object.
  V2
Pf  m2V2  m1V1 x  0
V1
M1 M2
P22 P12
Kf  
2m2 2m1 P2  m2V2  m1V1  P1
 K 2  K1 K2  2K1

What is the ratio of the masses? Which piece has the larger mass?

K2 P22 / 2m2 So
2 2
K1 P1 / 2m1 m1
2
m1 m2

m2
Larger mass has smaller K.
Use P1 = P2
 Conceptual Checkpoint.
What are the following quantities, in order?
F  L
F  T
F V
 P / T

1. Work, Impulse, Power,

Force
2. Work, Power, Impulse,
Force
3. Work, Power, Impulse,
Energy
4. Work, Energy, Power,
Impulse
Putting Momentum and Energy to Work

The masses m and M are known, and the incident velocity. Can we
determine how high the pendulum moves after the inelastic collision?
Work backwards from desired result…

If you knew the kinetic energy of the block and bullet after the
collision, you could use conservation of energy to convert the
kinetic energy into potential energy, and find the height H.

If you new the velocity of the block and bullet after collision, you
could find the kinetic energy.

You can use conservation of momentum to find the final velocity!

Work this one out!
 A real-world example: Ion
scattering
Light scattering atom.

Vi m Vf

Heavy atoms in substrate target

VT

You select the scattering atom mass “m”, and the incident
velocity Vi. If you can measure the scattered velocity Vf, can you
tell what is the mass of the target, M?
 Ion scattering: can it be done?
M
m Pinit  m v1
Initial:
1
V1 K init  m v12
2

m
M Pfinal  MV  m v2
V
Final: 1 1
V2
K final  m v22  MV 2
2 2

Apply conservation of momentum and energy.

UCF Heavy Ion
Backscattering
After some algebra…. v1  v2
M m Spectrometer (HIBS)
v1  v2

Is this reasonable?
If v2=0, M=m.
If V2=V1, M goes to infinity.
 The Rocket Problem
“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and
the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He
seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."
(1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket
work.)
A rocket engine emits a certain mass
of fuel per unit time. This results in a
force, which is called Thrust.

m  v P
  Fthrust
t t
m
This is an important case where the
change in momentum comes about
because of the change in mass.

v
Center of Mass: What it is, and why
it matters
“The center of mass is the point at which the external
forces acting on an object appear to act.”

Let’s look at some examples.

Center of Mass of a Mobile
The center of
mass can be
found by the
following
process:

RCM 
 m R  m R  ...
1 1 2 2

 m  m  ...
1 2

For example, for the mobile, Numerator is the “moment”

m1 X 1  m2 X 2
X CM 
m1  m2
Total mass
 Find the Center of Mass: 2nd try
A mass of 1 kg is located at the origin of a meter stick. A mass of 3
kg is at the other end of the meter stick. Where is the center-of-mass
located?

1 3

1m

The choice of
m R  m R  ... origin does not
RCM  1 1 2 2

 m  m  ...
1 2
affect result.

1. R = .25 m
2. R = .50 m
3. R = .75 m
4. R = 1.0 m
 Forces and Center of Mass
m1 X 1  m2 X 2
Suppose X CM 
m1  m2

(m1  m2 )acm  m1a1  m2 a2

  
Fcm  F1  F2
Fcm

F2
F1