Mr Palmer's AQA GCSE Physics Notes

Momentum





Momentum and Forces





  • F: the force acting on an object (N)

  • Delta p: the change in the object's momentum in kilogram meters per second

  • t: The time taken for the change to occur (s)



    • When an unbalanced force acts on an object, an acceleration occurs. This causes the object's momentum to change.

    Example: A 0.2kg bullet travels at 200m/s. When it strikes a police officer's bullet-proof vest, it comes to a stop in 0.003 seconds. How much of a force does the vest need to exert on the bullet?


























    Collisions



    In a collision or an explosion, the total amount of momentum is conserved. This means the amount of momentum before the collision is the same as the amount of momentum after the collision.



    The final momentum is equal to the initial momentum.

    A 5,000kg rail car traveling at 1.2 m/s collides with a stationary rail car with a mass of 2,500kg. The two rail cars stick together after the collision. What is their final speed?




















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    Physics P1 Topics
    1. Heat
    2. Energy
    3. Electricity
    4. Power
    5. Electromagnetic Spectrum
    6. Nuclear Radiation
    7. Origins of the Universe


    Physics P2 Topics
    1. Motion
    2. Forces
    3. Energy
    4. Static Electricity
    5. Current Electricity
    6. Mains Electricity
    7. Momentum
    8. Nuclear Physics

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    1. Mathematics for Physics