Force & Momentum Flashcards

All 3 cards in this deck

What is Newton's second law written in terms of momentum?

Force = change in momentum ÷ time; $F = \frac{mv - mu}{t}$

What happens to the force on an object if the same change in momentum happens over a longer time?

The force is smaller, because $F = \frac{\Delta p}{t}$.

True or false? A ball that bounces straight back off a wall has a smaller change in momentum than an identical ball that hits the wall and stops.

False. Momentum is a vector, so reversing direction gives a larger change in momentum (and a larger force for the same contact time).