AP Physics C - Quiz 8 Linear Momentum and Collisions

center of mass

weighted average position of the mass

closed system

system for which the mass is constant and the net external force on the system is zero

elastic

collision that conserves kinetic energy

explosion

single object breaks up into multiple objects; kinetic energy is not conserved in explosions

external force

force applied to an extended object that changes the momentum of the extended object as a whole

impulse, J

effect of applying a force on a system for a time interval; this time interval is usually small, but does not have to be

impulse-momentum theorem

change of momentum of a system is equal to the impulse applied to the system

inelastic

collision that does not conserve kinetic energy

internal force

force that the simple particles that make up an extended object exert on each other. Internal forces can be attractive or repulsive

Law of Conservation of Momentum

total momentum of a closed system cannot change

linear mass density, λ

expressed as the number of kilograms of material per meter

surface mass density, σ

expressed as the number of kilograms of material per square meter

volumetric mass density, ρ

expressed as the number of kilograms of material per cubic meter

momentum, p

measure of the quantity of motion that an object has; it takes into account both how fast the object is moving, and its mass; specifically, it is the product of mass and velocity; it is a vector quantity

perfectly inelastic

collision after which all objects are motionless, the final kinetic energy is zero, and the loss of kinetic energy is a maximum

(there are varying definitions to this name for a collision)

system

object or collection of objects whose motion is currently under investigation; however, your system is defined at the start of the problem, you must keep that definition for the entire problem

impulse

When a force is applied on an object for some amount of time, the object experiences an __________.

momentum

Newton's second law in terms of momentum states that the net force applied to a system equals the rate of change
of the __________ that the force causes.

center of mass

The __________ of an object traces out the trajectory dictated by Newton's second law, due to the net external
force.

momentum

The internal forces within an extended object cannot alter the __________ of the extended object as a whole.