MODULE VI

Lesson 1: Momentum and Impulse

Lesson 2: Center of Mass
Lesson 3: Collision

Module 6
 MODULE 6

Momentum and Impulse

INTRODUCTION

In this module we will be discussing about the momentum of an object. We will

discuss the relationship of mass and velocity and how they affect the energy of an
object.

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. Discuss the concepts of Momentum and Impulse

2. Discuss the principle of Impulse-Momentum Theorem
3. Discuss the principle of Conservation of Momentum
4. Discuss, solve and analyze the concepts/problems for Center of Mass
5. Discuss, solve and analyze the concepts/problems for Collisions

DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

There are three lessons in the module. Read each lesson thoughtfully then
answer the learning activities and a summative test at the end of the module to find
out how much you have benefited from it. Work on these activities carefully. Date of
submission and how will be submitted will be posted in the google classroom or group
chat.

In case you encounter difficulty, contact or message your instructor/professor through

messenger.

Good luck and happy reading!!!

Module 6
 Lesson 1

Momentum and Impulse

We introduce the concept of momentum, which is useful for describing objects in motion and
as an alternate and more general means of applying Newton’s laws. For example, a very massive
football player is often said to have a great deal of momentum as he runs down the field. A much less
massive player, such as a halfback, can have equal or greater momentum if his speed is greater than
that of the more massive player. This follows from the fact that momentum is defined as the product
of mass and velocity. The concept of momentum leads us to a second conservation law, that of
conservation of momentum. This law is especially useful for treating problems that involve collisions
between objects and for analyzing rocket propulsion. The concept of the center of mass of a system of
particles also is introduced, and we shall see that the motion of a system of particles can be described
by the motion of one representative particle located at the center of mass.

Linear Momentum and its Conservation

The linear momentum,p of a particle of mass m moving with a velocity v is defined to be the product
of the mass and velocity:
𝒑 = 𝒎𝒗 (6.1)

Linear momentum is a vector quantity. If a particle is moving in an arbitrary direction, p must have
three components, and Equation 6.1 is equivalent to the component equations

𝒑𝒙 = 𝒎𝒗𝒙 𝒑𝒚 = 𝒎𝒗𝒚 𝒑𝒛 = 𝒎𝒗𝒛

Conservation

Consider two particles 1 and 2 that can interact with each other but are isolated from their
surroundings (see figure). That is, the particles may exert a force on each other, but no external
forces are present. It is important to note the impact of Newton’s third law on this analysis. If an
internal force from particle 1 (for example, a gravitational force) acts on particle 2, then there must
be a second internal force—equal in magnitude but opposite in direction—that particle 2 exerts on
particle 1.

Module 6
The total momentum of the system must remain constant:
𝒑𝒕𝒐𝒕 = ∑ 𝒑 = 𝒑𝟏 + 𝒑𝟐 = 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕
𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎
Whenever two or more particles in an isolated system interact, the total momentum of the system
remains constant. This law tells us that the total momentum of an isolated system at all times
equals its initial momentum.

Impulse and Momentum

As we have seen, the momentum of a particle changes if a net force acts on the particle. Knowing the
change in momentum caused by a force is useful in solving some types of problems. To begin building
a better understanding of this important concept, let us assume that a single force F acts on a particle
𝑑𝑝
and that this force may vary with time. According to Newton’s second law, 𝐹 = , 𝑜𝑟
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑝 = 𝐹𝑑𝑡
We can integrate this expression to find the change in the momentum of a particle when the force
acts over some time interval. If the momentum of the particle changes from 𝑝𝑖 at time 𝑡𝑖 to 𝑝𝑓 at time
𝑡𝑓 .
𝑡𝑓
∆𝑝 = 𝑝𝑓 − 𝑝𝑖 = ∫ 𝐹𝑑𝑡
𝑡𝑖

To evaluate the integral, we need to know how the force varies with time. The quantity on the right
side of this equation is called the impulse of the force F acting on a particle over the time interval
∆𝑡 = 𝑡𝑓 − 𝑡𝑖 . Impulse is a vector defined by
𝑡
𝐼 = ∫𝑡 𝑓 𝐹𝑑𝑡 = ∆𝑝
𝑖
𝐼 = 𝐹 ∆𝑡

Thus the Impulse-momentum theorem dictates that the impulse of the force F acting on a particle
equals the change in the momentum of the particle caused by that force. Note that impulse is not a
property of a particle; rather, it is a measure of the degree to which an external force changes the
momentum of the particle. Therefore, when we say that an impulse is given to a particle, we mean
that momentum is transferred from an external agent to that particle.

In many physical situations, we shall use what is called the impulse approximation, in which we
assume that one of the forces exerted on a particle acts for a short time but is much greater than
any other force present. This approximation is especially useful in treating collisions in which the
duration of the collision is very short. When this approximation is made, we refer to the force as an
impulsive force. For example, when a baseball is struck with a bat, the time of the collision is about
0.01 s and the average force that the bat exerts on the ball in this time is typically several thousand
newtons.

Module 6
Solved Examples:

1.A golf ball of mass 50 g is struck with a club (Fig. 9.5). Theforce exerted on the ball by the club
varies from zero, at the instant before contact, up to some maximum value (at which the ball is
deformed) and then back to zero when the ball leaves the club. Thus, the force–time curve is
qualitatively described by Figure 9.4. Assuming that the ball travels 200 m, estimate the magnitude of
the impulse caused by the collision.

Solution:
Let us use A to denote the moment when the club first contacts the ball, B to denote the moment
when the club loses contact with the ball as the ball starts on its trajectory, and C to denote its
landing. Neglecting air resistance, we can use Equation for the range of a projectile:

𝑣𝐵2
𝑅 = 𝑋𝐶 = sin 2𝜃𝐵
𝑔

Let us assume that the launch angle B is 45°, the angle that provides the maximum range for any
given launch velocity. This assumption gives sin 2𝜃𝐵 = 1 , and the launch velocity ofthe ball is

𝑚
𝑣𝐵 = √𝑥𝐶 𝑔 = √(200 𝑚)(9.80 ) = 44 𝑚/𝑠
𝑠2

Considering the time interval for the collision, 𝑣𝑖 = 𝑣𝐴 = 0 and 𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝐵 for the ball. Hence, the
magnitude of the impulse imparted to the ball is

𝑚
𝐼 = ∆𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣𝐵 − 𝑚𝑣𝐴 = (50𝑥10−3 𝑘𝑔) (44 ) − 0
𝑠
𝑚
= 2.2 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠

Module 6
2. In a particular crash test, an automobile of mass 1 500 kg collides with a wall, as shown in Figure
9.6. The initial and final velocities of the automobile are -15 m/s and 2.60 m/s, respectively. If the
collision lasts for 0.150 s, find the impulse caused by the collision and the average force exerted on
the automobile.

Solution:

Let us assume that the force exerted on the car by the wall is large compared with other forces on the
car so that we can apply the impulse approximation. Furthermore, we note that the force of gravity
and the normal force exerted by the road on the car are perpendicular to the motion and therefore do
not affect the horizontal momentum.

The initial and final momenta of the automobile are

𝑚 𝑚
𝑝𝑖 = 𝑚𝑣𝑖 = (1500 𝑘𝑔) (−15 ) = −2.25𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠 𝑠
𝑚 4
𝑚
𝑝𝑓 = 𝑚𝑣𝑓 = (1500 𝑘𝑔) (2.60 ) = 0.39 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠 𝑠

Hence, the impulse is

𝑚 𝑚
𝐼 = ∆𝑝 = 𝑝𝑓 − 𝑝𝑖 = 0.39 𝑥 104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ − (−2.25 𝑥 104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ )
𝑠 𝑠
4
𝑚
𝐼 = 2.64 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠

The average force exerted on the automobile is

4 𝑚
∆𝑝 2.64 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑠
𝐹= = = 1.76𝑥105 𝑁
∆𝑡 0.150 𝑠

Note that the magnitude of this force is large compared with the weight of the car ( N), which
justifies our initial assumption.

Module 6
3. You throw a ball with a mass of 0.40 kg against a brick wall. It is moving horizontally to the left at
30 m/s when it hits the wall; it rebounds horizontally to the right at 20 m/s. (a) Find the impulse of
the net force on the ball during its collision with the wall. (b) If the ball is in contact with the wall for
0.010 s, find the average horizontal force that the wall exerts on the ball during the impact.

Solution:

(a) With our choice of x-axis, the initial and final x-components of momentum of the ball are
𝑚 𝑚
𝑝1𝑥 = 𝑚𝑣1𝑥 = (0.40 𝑘𝑔) (−30 ) = −12 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠 𝑠
𝑚 𝑚
𝑝2𝑥 = 𝑚𝑣2𝑥 = (0.40 𝑘𝑔) (20 ) = 8 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠 𝑠

𝐼 = 𝑝2𝑥 − 𝑝1𝑥
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
= 8 𝑘𝑔 ∙ − (−12 𝑘𝑔 ∙ ) = 20 𝑘𝑔 ∙ = 20 𝑁 ∙ 𝑠
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

(b) The collision time is 𝑡2 − 𝑡1 = ∆𝑡 = 0.010 𝑠.

𝐼 20 𝑁 ∙ 𝑠
𝐹= = = 2000 𝑁
∆𝑡 0.010 𝑠

Video Tutorials:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hODlmGK7pl8

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WIECGg71WY

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp7D5D8Bqjc

Module 6
 Lesson 2
Center of Mass

We describe the overall motion of a mechanical system in

terms of a special point called the center of mass of the system. The
mechanical system can be either a system of particles, such as a
collection of atoms in a container, or an extended object, such as a
gymnast leaping through the air. We shall see that the center of mass
of the system moves as if all the mass of the system were
concentrated at that point.

Consider a mechanical system consisting of a pair of particles

that have different masses and are connected by a light, rigid rod
(Fig. 9.17). One can describe the position of the center of mass of a
system as being the average position of the system’s mass. The
center of mass of the system is located somewhere on the line joining
the particles and is closer to the particle having the larger mass. If a
single force is applied at some point on the rod somewhere between
the center of mass and the less massive particle, the system rotates
clockwise (see Fig. 9.17a). If the force is applied at a point on the rod
somewhere between the center of mass and the more massive
particle, the system rotates counterclockwise (see Fig. 9.17b). If the
force is applied at the center of mass, the system moves in the
direction of F without rotating (see Fig. 9.17c). Thus, the center of
mass can be easily located.

The center of mass of the pair of particles described in Figure

9.18 is located on the x axis and lies somewhere between the
particles. Its x coordinate is

𝑚1 𝑥1 +𝑚2 𝑥2
𝑥𝐶𝑀 = 𝑚1 +𝑚2

2
For example, if 𝑥1 = 0, 𝑥2 = 𝑑 and 𝑚2 = 2𝑚1 we find that 𝑥𝐶𝑀 = 𝑑 That
3
is, the center of mass lies closer to the more massive particle. If the two
masses are equal, the center of mass lies midway between the particles.
We can extend this concept to a system of many particles in three
dimensions. The x coordinate of the center of mass of n particles is
defined to be

𝑚1 𝑥1 + 𝑚2 𝑥2 + 𝑚3 𝑥3 + ⋯ + 𝑚𝑛 𝑥𝑛 ∑𝑖 𝑚𝑖 𝑥𝑖
𝑥𝐶𝑀 = =
𝑚1 + 𝑚2 + 𝑚3 + ⋯ + 𝑚𝑛 ∑𝑖 𝑚𝑖

Module 6
where xi is the x coordinate of the ith particle. For convenience, we express the total mass as where
the sum runs over all n particles. The y and z coordinates of the center of mass are similarly defined
by the equations.

∑𝑖 𝑚𝑖 𝑦𝑖 ∑𝑖 𝑚𝑖 𝑧𝑖
𝑦𝐶𝑀 = and 𝑧𝐶𝑀 =
𝑀 𝑀

Lesson 3

Collisions

To most people the term collision is likely to mean some sort of automotive disaster. We’ll
broaden the meaning to include any strong interaction between bodies that lasts a relatively short
time. So we include not only car accidents but also balls colliding on a billiard table, neutrons hitting
atomic nuclei in a nuclear reactor, and a close encounter of a spacecraft with the planet case in most
collisions, we can ignore the external forces and treat the bodies as an isolated system. Then
momentum is conserved and the total momentum of the system has the same value before and after
the collision. Two cars colliding at an icy intersection provide a good example. Even two cars colliding
on dry pavement can be treated as an isolated system during the collision if the forces between the
cars are much larger than the friction forces of pavement against tires.

Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

If the forces between the bodies are also conservative, so no mechanical energy is lost or
gained in the collision, the total kinetic energy of the system is the same after the collision as before.
Such a collision is called an elastic collision. A collision between two marbles or two billiard balls is
almost completely elastic. Figure 8.15 shows a model for an elastic collision. When the gliders
collide, their springs are momentarily compressed and some of the original kinetic energy is
momentarily converted to elastic potential energy. Then the gliders bounce apart, the springs expand,
and this potential energy is converted back to kinetic energy. A collision in which the total kinetic
energy after the collision is less than before the collision is called an inelastic collision. A meatball
landing on a plate of spaghetti and a bullet embedding itself in a block of wood are examples of
inelastic collisions. An inelastic collision in which the colliding bodies stick together and move as one
body after the collision is called a completely inelastic collision. Figure 8.16 shows an example; we
have replaced the spring bumpers in Fig. 8.15 with Velcro®, which sticks the two bodies together

Module 6
Remember this rule: In any collision in which external forces can be ignored, momentum is conserved
and the total momentum before equals the total momentum after; in elastic collisions only, the total
kinetic energy before equals the total kinetic energy after.

Completely Inelastic Collisions

Let’s look at what happens to momentum and kinetic energy in a completely inelastic collision of two
bodies (A and B), as in Fig. 8.16. Because the two bodies stick together after the collision, they have
the same final velocity ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑣2

𝑣𝐴2 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑣𝐵2 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑣2

Conservation of momentum gives the relationship:

𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1 = (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 )𝑣

⃗⃗⃗⃗2 (completely inelastic collision)

Let’s verify that the total kinetic energy after this completely inelastic collision is less than before the
collision. The motion is purely along the x-axis, so the kinetic energies 𝐾1 and 𝐾2 before and after the
collision, respectively, are

1 2
𝐾1 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1𝑥
2

1 1 𝑚𝐴 2
2 2
𝐾2 = (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 )𝑣2𝑥 = (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 ) ( ) 𝑣𝐴1𝑥
2 2 𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵

The ratio of final to initial kinetic energy is

𝐾2 𝑚𝐴
=𝑚 (completely inelastic collision,B initially at rest)
𝐾1 𝐴 +𝑚𝐵

Video Tutorials:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-QOfc2XqOk

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFbo_nBdBco

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1XuwHLacao

Module 6
Solved Examples:
1. We repeat the collision described in Example 8.5 (Section 8.2), but this time equip the gliders
so that they stick together when they collide. Find the common final x-velocity, and compare
the initial and final kinetic energies of the system.

Solution:
There are no external forces in the x-direction, so the x-component of momentum is conserved.
Figure 8.18 shows our sketch. Our target variables are the final x-velocity, 𝑣2𝑥 , and the initial and
final kinetic energies, 𝐾1 and 𝐾2 .
𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1𝑥 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1𝑥 = (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 )𝑣2𝑥

𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1𝑥 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1𝑥
𝑣2𝑥 =
𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵

𝑚 𝑚
(0.50𝑘𝑔) (2.0 ) + (0.30 𝑘𝑔)(−2.0 )
= 𝑠 𝑠
0.50 𝑘𝑔 + 0.30 𝑘𝑔

= 0.50 𝑚/𝑠

Because 𝑣2𝑥 is positive, the gliders move together to the right after the collision. Before the collision,
the kinetic energies are

1 2
1 𝑚 2
𝐾𝐴 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1𝑥 = (0.50 𝑘𝑔) (2.0 ) = 1.0 𝐽
2 2 𝑠
1 2
1 𝑚 2
𝐾𝐵 = 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵1𝑥 = (0.30 𝑘𝑔) (−2.0 ) = 0.60 𝐽
2 2 𝑠

The total kinetic energy before the collision is 𝐾1 = 𝐾𝐴 + 𝐾𝐵 = 1.6 𝐽. The kinetic energy after the
collision is

1 2
1 𝑚 2
𝐾2 = (𝑚𝐴 + 𝑚𝐵 )𝑣2𝑥 = (0.50 𝑘𝑔 + 0.30 𝑘𝑔) (0.50 ) = 0.10 𝐽
2 2 𝑠

Module 6
 2. A 1000-kg car traveling north at 15 m/s collides with a 2000-kg truck traveling east at 10 m/s.
The occupants, wearing seat belts, are uninjured, but the two vehicles move away from the
impact point as one. The insurance adjustor asks you to find the velocity of the wreckage just
after impact. What is your answer?

Solution:

Any horizontal external forces (such as friction) on the vehicles during the collision are very small
compared with the forces that the colliding vehicles exert on each other. (We’ll verify this below.)
So we can treat the cars as an isolated system, and the momentum of the system is conserved.
Figure 8.20 shows our sketch and the x- and y-axes. We can use Eqs. (8.15) to find the total
momentum 𝑃⃗ before the collision. The momentum has the same value just after the collision;
hence we can find the velocity 𝑉⃗ just after the collision (our target variable) by using 𝑃⃗ = 𝑀𝑉
⃗,
where 𝑀 = 𝑚𝑐 + 𝑚 𝑇 = 3000 𝑘𝑔 is the mass of the wreckage.
𝑃𝑥 = 𝑝𝑐𝑥 + 𝑝𝑇𝑥 = 𝑚𝑐 𝑣𝑐𝑥 + 𝑚 𝑇 𝑣𝑇𝑥
𝑚
= (1000 𝑘𝑔)(0) + (2000 𝑘𝑔) (10 )
𝑠
4
𝑚
= 2.0 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠
𝑃𝑦 = 𝑝𝑐𝑦 + 𝑝𝑇𝑦 = 𝑚𝑐 𝑣𝑐𝑦 + 𝑚 𝑇 𝑣𝑇𝑦
𝑚
= (1000 𝑘𝑔) (15 ) + (2000 𝑘𝑔)(0)
𝑠
= 1.5 𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑚/𝑠
The Magnitude of 𝑃⃗⃗⃗ is

𝑚 2 𝑚 2
𝑃 = √(2.0𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ ) + (1.5𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ )
𝑠 𝑠
= 2.5𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑚/𝑠
And its direction is given by the angle 𝜃shown in Fig. 8.20:
4 𝑚
𝑃𝑦 1.5 𝑥 10 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑠
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = = = 0.75 𝜃 = 37 °
𝑃𝑥 2.0 𝑥 104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑚
𝑠
From 𝑃⃗ = 𝑀𝑉 ⃗ the direction of the velocity just after the collision is also 𝜃 = 37°. The velocity
magnitude is
4 𝑚
𝑃 2.5𝑥10 𝑘𝑔 ∙ 𝑠 𝑚
𝑉= = = 8.3
𝑀 3000 𝑘𝑔 𝑠

Module 6
Elastic Collision

Elastic collisions occur when the forces between the colliding bodies are conservative. When
two billiard balls collide, they squash a little near the surface of contact, but then they spring back.
Some of the kinetic energy is stored temporarily as elastic potential
energy, but at the end it is reconverted to kinetic energy.

Now consider two particles that undergo an elastic head-on collision

(Fig. 9.10). In this case, both momentum and kinetic energy are
conserved; therefore, we have
𝑚1 𝑣1𝑖 + 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑖 = 𝑚1 𝑣1𝑓 + 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑓 (eq.6.15)

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
𝑚1 𝑣1𝑖 + 2 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑖 = 2 𝑚1 𝑣1𝑓 + 2 𝑚2 𝑣2𝑓 (eq. 6.16)
2

Because all velocities in Figure 9.10 are either to the left or the right,
they can be represented by the corresponding speeds along with
algebraic signs indicating direction. We shall indicate v as positive if a
particle moves to the right and negative if it moves to the left. As has
been seen in earlier chapters, it is common practice to call these values
“speed” even though this term technically refers to the magnitude of
the velocity vector, which does not have an algebraic sign.

In a typical problem involving elastic collisions, there are two unknown quantities, and Equations 6.15
and 6.16 can be solved simultaneously to find these. An alternative approach, however—one that
involves a little mathematical manipulation of Equation 6.16—often simplifies this process. To see
how, let us cancel the factor in Equation 6.16 and rewrite it as

2 2 2 2
𝑚1 (𝑣1𝑖 − 𝑣1𝑓 ) = 𝑚2 (𝑣2𝑓 − 𝑣2𝑖 )
And then factor both sides:
𝑚1 (𝑣1𝑖 − 𝑣1𝑓 )(𝑣1𝑖 + 𝑣1𝑓 ) = 𝑚2 (𝑣2𝑓 − 𝑣2𝑖 )(𝑣2𝑓 + 𝑣2𝑖 ) (6.17)

Next, let us separate the terms containing m1 and m2 in Equation 9.15 to get
𝑚1 (𝑣1𝑖 − 𝑣1𝑓 ) = 𝑚2 (𝑣2𝑓 − 𝑣2𝑖 ) (6.18)

To obtain our final result, we divide Equation 6.17 by Equation 6.18 and get

𝑣1𝑖 + 𝑣1𝑓 = 𝑣2𝑓 + 𝑣2𝑖

𝑣1𝑖 − 𝑣2𝑖 = −(𝑣1𝑓 − 𝑣2𝑓 ) (6.19)

This equation, in combination with Equation 6.15, can be used to solve problems dealing with
elastic collisions. According to Equation 6.19, the relative speed of the two particles before
the collision equals the negative of their relative speed after the collision, −(𝑣1𝑓 − 𝑣2𝑓 ).

Module 6
 Suppose that the masses and initial velocities of both particles are known. Equations
6.15 and 6.19 can be solved for the final speeds in terms of the initial speeds because there
are two equations and two unknowns:
𝑚 −𝑚 2𝑚2
𝑣1𝑓 = (𝑚1 +𝑚2 ) 𝑣1𝑖 + (𝑚 ) 𝑣2𝑖 (6.20)
1 2 1 +𝑚2
2𝑚1 𝑚2 −𝑚1
𝑣2𝑓 = ( ) 𝑣1𝑖 + ( ) 𝑣2𝑖 (6.21)
𝑚1 +𝑚2 𝑚1 +𝑚2

It is important to remember that the appropriate signs for v1i and v2i must be included
in Equations 6.20 and 6.21. For example, if particle 2 is moving to the left initially, then v2i is
negative.
Let us consider some special cases: If m1 = m2 , then 𝑣1𝑓 = 𝑣2𝑖 and 𝑣2𝑓 = 𝑣1𝑖 That is,
the particles exchange speeds if they have equal masses. This is approximately what one
observes in head-on billiard ball collisions—the cue ball stops, and the struck ball moves away
from the collision with the same speed that the cue ball had.

If particle 2 is initially at rest, then and Equations 6.20 and 6.21 become
𝑚 −𝑚
𝑣1𝑓 = (𝑚1 +𝑚2 ) 𝑣1𝑖 (6.22)
1 2
2𝑚1
𝑣2𝑓 = (𝑚 ) 𝑣1𝑖 (6.23)
1 +𝑚2

Solved Examples:
1. The fission of uranium nuclei in a nuclear reactor produces high speed neutrons. Before such
neutrons can efficiently cause additional fissions, they must be slowed down by collisions with
nuclei in the moderator of the reactor. The first nuclear reactor (built in 1942 at the University
of Chicago) used carbon (graphite)as the moderator. Suppose a neutron (mass 1.0 u) traveling
at 2.6 𝑥107 𝑚/𝑠 undergoes a head-on elastic collision with a carbon nucleus (mass 12 u) initially
at rest. Neglecting external forces during the collision, find the velocities after the collision. (1
u is the atomic mass unit, equal 1.66𝑥10−27 kg.)

Solution:
We ignore external forces, so momentum is conserved in the collision. The collision is elastic,
so kinetic energy is also conserved. Figure 8.26 shows our sketch. We take the x-axis to be in the
direction in which the neutron is moving initially. The collision is head-on, so both particles move
along this same axis after the collision.
Let n=neutron, C=Carbon nucleus, 𝑚𝑛 = 1.0 𝑎𝑚𝑢, 𝑚𝑐 = 12 𝑎𝑚𝑢 and 𝑣𝑛1𝑥 = 2.6𝑥107 𝑚/𝑠. The target
variables are the final velocities 𝑣𝑛2𝑥 and 𝑣𝐶2𝑥 .

𝑣𝑛2𝑥 = −2.2𝑥107 𝑚/𝑠 𝑣𝐶2𝑥 = 0.4𝑥107 𝑚/𝑠

Module 6
 2. A 1 500-kg car traveling east with a speed of 25.0 m/s collides at an intersection with a 2500-
kg van traveling north at a speed of 20.0 m/s, as shown in Figure 9.15. Find the direction and
magnitude of the velocity of the wreckage after the collision, assuming that the vehicles
undergo a perfectly in elastic collision (that is, they stick together).

Solution: Let us choose east to be along the positive x direction and north to be along the positive
y direction. Before the collision, the only object having momentum in the x direction is the
car. Thus, the magnitude of the total initial momentum of the system (car plus van) in the x
direction is
𝑚 𝑚
∑ 𝑝𝑥𝑖 = (1500 𝑘𝑔) (25 ) = 3.75𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙
𝑠 𝑠
Let us assume that the wreckage moves at an angle 𝜃 and speed vf after the collision. The
magnitude of the total momentum in the x direction after the collision is
∑ 𝑝𝑥𝑓 = (4000 𝑘𝑔)𝑣𝑓 cos 𝜃
Because the total momentum in the x direction is constant, we can equate these two equations
to obtain
𝑚
3.75𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ = (4000 𝑘𝑔)𝑣𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 (1)
𝑠
Similarly, the total initial momentum of the system in the y direction is that of the van, and
the magnitude of this momentum is (2 500 kg)(20.0 m/s). Applying conservation of momentum
to the y direction, we have
∑ 𝑝𝑦𝑖 = ∑ 𝑝𝑦𝑓
𝑚
(2500 𝑘𝑔) (20.0 ) = (4000 𝑘𝑔)𝑣𝑓 sin 𝜃
𝑠
𝑚
5.00𝑥104 𝑘𝑔 ∙ = (4000 𝑘𝑔)𝑣𝑓 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 (2)
𝑠
If we divide (2) by (1), we get
sin 𝜃 5.00𝑥104
= 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 3.75𝑥104 = 1.33
cos 𝜃
𝜃 = 53.1° substitute to (2)
𝑣𝑓 = 15.6 𝑚/𝑠

Module 6
 3. Figure 8.27 shows an elastic collision of two pucks (masses mA = 0.500 kg and mB = 0.300 kg)
on a frictionless air-hockey table. Puck A has an initial velocity of 4.00 m/s in the positive x-
direction and a final velocity of 2.00 m/s in an unknown direction a. Puck B is initially at rest.
Find the final speed 𝑣𝐵2 of puck B and the angles 𝛼 and 𝛽.

Solution:

We’ll use the equations for conservation of energy and conservation of x- and y-momentum.
These three equations should be enough to solve for the three target variables.

The collision is elastic, so the initial and final kinetic energies of the system are equal:

1 2
1 2
1 2
𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴2 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵2
2 2 2
2 2
2 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1 −𝑚𝐴𝑣𝐴2
𝑣𝐵2 = 𝑚𝐵
𝑚 2 𝑚 2
(0.500 𝑘𝑔) (4.00 ) − (0.500 𝑘𝑔) (2.00 )
= 𝑠 𝑠
0.300 𝑘𝑔
𝑣𝐵2 = 4.47 𝑚/𝑠
Conservation of the x- and y-components of total momentum gives
𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴1𝑥 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴2𝑥 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵2𝑥
𝑚 𝑚 𝑚
(0.500 𝑘𝑔) (4.00 ) = (0.500 𝑘𝑔)(2.00 )(cos 𝛼) + (0.300 𝑘𝑔)(4.47 )(cos 𝛽)
𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

0 = 𝑚𝐴 𝑣𝐴2𝑦 + 𝑚𝐵 𝑣𝐵2𝑦
𝑚 𝑚
0 = (0.500 𝑘𝑔)(2.00 )(sin 𝛼) − (0.300 𝑘𝑔)(4.47 )(sin 𝛽)
𝑠 𝑠
𝛼 = 36.9° 𝛽 = 26.6°

Module 6
 References:
1. University Physics with Modern Physics by Hugh D. Young, Roger A. Freedman
2. Fundamentals of Physics by David Halliday, Robert Resnick, Jearl Walker
3. Schaum’s Outline of College Physics, Twelfth Edition by Eugene H

Module 6
Module 6