Conservation of

Momentum

M.K.Rolley
Momentum: What is it?
Is the product of the MASS and
VELOCITY of an object or p=mv
has units of kgm/s
Is a vector quantity so direction is important
(ie can be negative)
In any collision or interaction Momentum is
always conserved
The law of Conservation of
momentum.
In any interaction involving bodies
exerting forces on one another, as in a
collision,the total momentum after the
interaction is the same as the total
momentum before the collision providing
no external force acts on the system
ie momentum before = momentum after
 Example. A bullet of mass 10g is
fired from a 6kg rifle at a speed of
300m/s. What is the recoil velocity
of the rifle?
Momentum before firing = 0
Momentum after firing= Momentum of bullet + momentum of rifle
=0
0.010 300 + 6 (-v)=0
3-6v=0
v= 0.5m/s
Example 2. A smart car of mass 500kg
has a head on collision with a new mini of
mass 1000kg travelling at 20m/s.. Both
cars stop dead. How fast was the mini
travelling?

Total momentum before collision = m 1v1+

m2v2= -1000x20 + 500v
Total momentum after collision=0
Since mvbefore = mv after
-20000 +500v=0
v= 40m/s
 Why is it true?
In any collision the force between them is the same and
acts for the same time (newton 3)
This force acts on different objects however and will
accelerate each object differently according to the mass
of each (newton 2 )
The final velocity reached by each object will decrease
in the same proportion as the mass
of the objects increases
The product m x v for each object is therefore identical
 Why is this useful?
It allows us to predict the outcome of collisions
eg car rail and air accident simulations and
construct vehicles to stand up to them better
It allows us to calculate the speed of objects
which would otherwise be difficult eg the speed
of a shell or rifle bullet
It might allow us to become excellent snooker
players but..
 Inelastic and elastic collisions:
In every case momentum is conserved
regardless
whether the collision is elastic or inelastic but
in an inelastic collision Kinetic Energy is not
conserved
If the objects stick together after a collision the
collision is said to be inelastic
Most collisions are a complex mixture of both
Try these..
A trolley of mass 4kg moving at 10 m/s collides with a 2 kg
trolley moving in the same direction at a velocity of 4m/s. they
separate after the collision and the 4 kg trolley slows to 7m/s.
What is the final speed of the other trolley? (hint draw diagrams
of momentum before and after)
a trolleyA of mass 1kg is travelling at 2m/s towards another
trolleyB of mass 4kg which is travelling towards it at a velocity
of 3m/s. On collision they stick together. What is their final
combined velocity and in which direction do they travel
together? (care with negatives)

2m/s to the left