Week 8 Activity: Collisions

Name: _______________________________________________ Grade 12 STEM Sec. _______________

Momentum
Momentum can be defined as "mass in motion." All objects have mass; so if an object is
moving, then it has momentum. It is a quantity that describes an object's resistance to stopping,
It is the inertia in motion. The amount of momentum that an object has is dependent upon two
variables: how much stuff is moving and how fast the stuff is moving. Momentum depends upon
the variables mass and velocity. In terms of an equation, the momentum of an object is equal to
the mass of the object times the velocity of the object.
p = mv where: p – momentum ( kg m/s )
m – mass ( kg )
v – velocity ( m/s )
The direction of the momentum is the same with the direction of the velocity. Although
mass is a scalar quantity, when multiplied to velocity, will result to a vector quantity.

Impulse
Impulse is a quantity that describes the effect of a net force acting on an object (a kind of
"moving force"). In terms of an equation, the Impulse is the product of the average net force
acting on an object and its duration.
I = F∆t where: I – Impulse ( N s or kg m/s )
2
F – Force ( N or kg m/s )
t – Time ( s )
Since Force cannot be applied in a consistent
manner on a given length of time. This equation could
be expressed as I = ∫Fdt
where Impulse is the force-time integral.

Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion: Impulse and Momentum

Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion is famous in the equation form F = ma but its original
mathematical form is F = m which could be written as F = or simply

F= since the product of mass and velocity is momentum. We could write the equation
F∆t = ∆p. This shows us that the Impulse is just equal to the change in momentum of an object.
This equation could be written in its functional equation below.
2
F∆t = mvf - mvi where: F – Force ( N or kg m/s )
t – Time ( s )
m – mass ( kg )
vf – initial velocity ( m/s )
vi – initial velocity ( m/s )
WORD PROBLEM 1
1-5. A bike with a mass of 8 kg moving at 20 m/s and a 100 g bullet moving at 100 m/s move
Northward. Which of the two has greater momentum?
6-10. A 100 g bullet moving at 100 m/s hits a metal plate immediately stop after 0.02 s.
How much average Force was inflicted by the bullet?
11-15. What will happen to the Force if the 100g bullet moving in 100 m/s hits a sand bag and
stop after 1 s?
Exercise. 1
PROCEDURE: Give 5 situations where impulse and momentum is observable in your daily
activities.
16. ____________________________________________________________________________
17. ____________________________________________________________________________
18. ____________________________________________________________________________
19. ____________________________________________________________________________
20. ____________________________________________________________________________

Collisions and Conservation of Momentum

Collisions occur when one object strikes another. Problems involving collisions are usually
solved using conservation of momentum and conservation of energy. There are two types of
collisions: Inelastic collisions: momentum is conserved, Elastic collisions: momentum is conserved
and kinetic energy is conserved.
Conservation of momentum, a general law of physics according to which the quantity
called momentum that characterizes motion never changes in an isolated collection of objects;
that is, the total momentum of a system remains constant. The total momentum before collision
is equal to the momentum after collision.

Elastic Collision
An elastic collision is a collision in which there
is no net loss in kinetic energy in the system as a result
of the collision. Both momentum and kinetic energy
are conserved quantities in elastic collisions. Suppose
two balls are traveling toward each other. They collide,
bouncing off each other with no loss in speed. Although
the directions change. This collision is perfectly elastic
because no energy has been lost. In reality, examples
of perfectly elastic collisions are not part of our
everyday experience. The situation could be expressed
mathematically in an equation shown below.

m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2

where:
m1 – is the mass of the first object
m2 – is the mass of the second object
u1 – is the velocity of the first object before collision
u2 – is the velocity of the second object before collision
v1 – is the velocity of the first object after collision
v2 – is the velocity of the second object after collision.

In cases that two velocities are unknown. A second equation derived from Kinetic
energies of the objects before and after collision is used to determine the velocities
mathematically expressed as:

u1 + v1 = u2 + v2
Example Problem
2 kg mass Ball A moving towards right at 2 hits 1 kg Ball B moving at 1 towards left.
What are the velocities of the balls after collision if the collision is perfectly elastic?

Given Eq. Replacing v1 with 0

m1 = 2 kg u1 + v1 = u2 + v2 2kg (2 + 1kg ( - 1 ) = 2kg(0 + 1kg(v2)
m2 = 1 kg 4 kg + ( - 1 kg ) = 0 + 1 kg (v2)
u1 = 2 m/s m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2 3 kg = 1 kg (v2)

u2 = - 1 v2 =

Solution v2 = 3
2 + v1 = - 1 + v2
v2 = 2 + 1 + v1 Checking
v2 = 3 + v1 2kg(2 + 1kg( - 1 ) = 2kg(0) + 1kg(3 m/s)
3 kg = 3 kg
Replacing v2 with 3 + v1 Both sides have equal total momentums.
2kg(2 + 1kg( - 1 ) = 2kg(v1) + 1kg(v2)
4kg + ( - 1kg ) = 2kg(v1) + 1kg(3 + v1)
3kg = 2kg(v1) + 3kg + 1kg(v1)
3kg – 3kg = 2kg(v1) + 1kg(v1)
0 kg = 3 kg (v1)

v1 =

v1 = 0

Elastic Collision
An inelastic collision is a collision in which there is a loss of kinetic energy. While
momentum of the system is conserved in an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not. This is
because some kinetic energy had been transferred to something else. Thermal energy, sound
energy, and material deformation are likely culprits.
Suppose two similar balls are traveling towards
each other. They collide and join together in the
collision and become one connected mass. This type of
collision is perfectly inelastic because the maximum
possible kinetic energy has been lost. This doesn't
mean that the final kinetic energy is necessarily zero;
momentum must still be conserved. The situation could be expressed mathematically in an
equation shown below.

m1u1 + m2u2 = (m1 + m2)vf

where:
m1 – is the mass of the first object
m2 – is the mass of the second object
u1 – is the velocity of the first object before collision
u2 – is the velocity of the second object before collision
vf – is the velocity of the objects after collision
Example Problem
2 kg mass Ball A moving towards right at 2 hits 1 kg Ball B moving at 1 towards left.
What is the velocity of the balls after collision if the collision is perfectly inelastic?
Given Eq. Solution
m1 = 2 kg m1u1 + m2u2 = (m1 + m2) vf 2 kg (2 + 1 kg ( - 1 ) = (2 kg + 1 kg) vf
m2 = 1 kg 4 kg + ( - 1 kg ) = (3kg) vf
u1 = 2 m/s 3 kg = (3kg) vf

u2 = - 1 vf =

vf = 1

The illustration below summarizes the difference between the two types of collisions.
Although perfectly elastic and inelastic collisions do not exist in day to day activities because
Kinetic energy is always transform to other forms of energy, such collisions exist in the molecular
level.

WORD PROBLEM 2
21 -25. Ball A with 5 kg mass moving towards right at 10 m/s hits Ball B with 5 kg mass at rest.
What are the velocities of the balls after collision if the collision is perfectly elastic?
26 – 30. Ball A with 5 kg mass moving towards right at 10 m/s hits Ball B with 5 kg mass at rest.
What is the velocity of the balls after collision if the collision is perfectly inelastic?

Exercise. 2
PROCEDURE: Give 5 situations where conservation of momentum is observable in your daily
activities.
16. ____________________________________________________________________________
17. ____________________________________________________________________________
18. ____________________________________________________________________________
19. ____________________________________________________________________________
20. ____________________________________________________________________________