Momentum

Question 1

What is momentum?

Answer 1

A quantity relating to a moving object that is calculated by multiplying its mass by its velocity

Question 2

How is momentum affected by mass and velocity?

Answer 2

Momentum is directly proportional to both the mass and velocity of an object. Thus, the greater the mass or velocity of an object, the more momentum it has.

Question 3

Is momentum a scalar or vector quantity?

Answer 3

Momentum is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction.

Question 4

What is the equation for working out momentum?

Answer 4

P(momentum) =m(mass) x v (velocity)

Question 5

What is conservation of momentum

Answer 5

Conservation of momentum states that in a closed system (where there is no external forced),the total momentum before an event remains the same as after the event.

Question 6

Explain conservation of momentum in a car collision scenario

Answer 6

-In a car collision scenario, when two cars collide and lock together, their combined momentum after the collision remains equal to the momentum of the moving car before the collision.
-This results in a decrease in velocity due to an increase in mass.

Question 7

If the momentum before an event is 0, the momentum after will also be….?

Answer 7

-zero
-e.g. in an explosion the pieces fly off in different directions so that the momentum cancels out to zero