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This page provides insight into determining the impulse and momentum and provides a function to help you calculate it using the 'velocity change' and 'time interval' approaches.
Figure 1: Diagram to Depict the Impulse And The Change in Momentum

Figure 1 illustrates the magnitude of an impulse experienced by a particle when its momentum changes from the initial state to the final state. The diagram depicts the velocity of a particle before, during and after a collision.

Calculation

Impulse Equation 1 - Velocity Change

Inputs



m
:10kg



v(1)
:20m / s



v(2)
:30m / s


Here are the variables for the equation

  1. J = the impulse, the change in momentum.
  2. m = the mass
  1. p = momentum
  1. Δv = the change in velocity, v(1) is the initial and v(2) is the final velocity.

Output



p(1)
:200kg m/s



p(2)
:300kg m/s


p=mvp = m v


J (equation 1)
:100N/s


Jequation 1=mv2mv1J_{equation\ 1} = mv_{2} - mv_{1}

Impulse Equation 2 - Time Interval

Inputs



F, N
:100N



Δt
:2s


Here are the variables for the equation

  1. F = the force acting on the system.
  2. J = the impulse, the change in momentum.
  3. p = the momentum.
  4. Δt = the change in time, i.e. the time interval.

Output



J (equation 2)
:200N/s


Jequation 2=FΔtJ _{equation\ 2}= F \Delta t \: \:

Explanation

Impulse and momentum are fundamental concepts in physics, and they play a crucial role in our understanding of motion and energy transfer. Impulse is the change in momentum, while momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity.

Momentum Equation


p=mvp = m v

Impulse Equation 1 - Velocity Change

As impulse is the change in momentum, it can be expressed in the following equation:

Jequation 1=mv2mv1J_{equation\ 1}= mv_{2} - mv_{1}

Impulse Equation 2 - Time Interval

Impulse can also be calculated by using the following equation:

Jequation 2=FΔtJ_{equation\ 2} = F \Delta t \: \:
This is useful when you know the total force acting on a system and the specific time interval for which you measure impulse.

Related Resources

If you liked this, check out our other articles and resources!
  1. Check out our full calculation template library
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  3. Acceleration vs. Velocity equations
  4. Angular Velocity Calculator
  5. Energy Mass Equivalency
  1. Force Due To Acceleration
  2. Impulse and Momentum Calculator
  3. Kinetic Energy Calculator
  1. Potential Energy
  1. Work calculator

References

  1. Rice University. 2023. 8.1 Linear Momentum, Force, and Impulse. [ONLINE] Available at: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/8-1-linear-momentum-force-and-impulse. [Accessed 15 November 2023].
  2. The Physics Classroom. 2023. Momentum Change and Impulse Connection. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/momentum/U4L1b.cfm. [Accessed 15 November 2023].
  3. University of Sydney. 2023. Lecture 9 Momentum, impulse and energy. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~helenj/Mechanics/PDF/mechanics09.pdf. [Accessed 15 November 2023].
  4. Wikipedia. 2023. Impulse (physics). [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse_(physics). [Accessed 15 November 2023].