Momentum & Its Conservation

These flashcards cover key concepts related to momentum, impulse, and their conservation, as discussed in Unit 9 of the lecture notes.

Momentum

The product of an object’s mass and velocity, represented as p = mv.

Impulse

The product of a force applied to an object and the amount of time over which the force acts.

Conservation of Momentum

The law stating that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant.

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

When an unbalanced force acts on an object over time, the object experiences an impulse which changes its momentum.

Vector

A quantity that has both magnitude and direction, such as momentum and impulse.

Equation for Momentum

p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.

Equation for Impulse

J = Fnet•t = Δp, where J is impulse, Fnet is net force, t is time, and p is momentum.

Internal Forces

Forces that objects within a system exert on each other, which always sum to zero.

External Forces

Forces exerted on the objects by agents outside the system, which can affect the overall momentum.

Collision

An interaction between two or more bodies where momentum and potentially energy are exchanged.