Conservation of Momentum

Momentum must be conserved.

This fact means that the momentum in a specific direction before a
collision must be equal to the momentum in that same direction
after the collision.
Consider the two identical pucks to the right.
In the first collision, momentum is conserved because the first puck
completely stops and the second puck departs with the same initial
momentum as the first puck in the same direction as the first puck.
In the second collision, momentum is conserved because both pucks
move off with one half the speed of the first puck before the
collision and in the same direction as the first puck.
Why isnt the momentum conserved in the collision to follow?
The second puck moved with the same speed but in a different
dimension.
Therefore, momentum was not conserved in this collision.

Type of
Collision

Momentum is
Conserved

Kinetic Energy is
Conserved

Elastic

Yes

Yes

Inelastic

Yes

No

Perfectly Inelastic

Yes

No

Momentum Elastic Collisions

Elastic Collision a collision in which the colliding
bodies do not stick together.
The equation used for elastic collisions is as follows.

m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F

Momentum Inelastic
Collisions

Inelastic Collision a collision in which the colliding bodies

stick together.
The equation used for elastic collisions is as follows.

m1v1 m2 v2 MVF

Momentum
Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation
below.

m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F

m1v1I m2V2 I MVF

Momentum
Identify the number and types of collisions in the
animation below.

Momentum
Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

Momentum
Identify the number and types of collisions in the animation below.

Momentum Elastic
Collisions

What type of collision is depicted in the collision of the

offensive paddle and the hockey puck?
What about the collision with the defensive paddle?
If the offensive paddle (m = 0.5 kg) was traveling at
0.75 m/s before the collision and 0.25 m/s after the
collision, then how fast was the puck ( m = 0.2 kg)
moving after the collision?
m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F

m1v1I m2V2 I MVF

Momentum Elastic Recoil

Collisions
Recoil can be understood by considering the result of the
explosion of the gun powder on a gun.
The bullet flies in one direction while the gun recoils in
the other direction.

Momentum Inelastic
Collisions

An explosive bowling ball (m1 = 10 kg, v1I = 10.0 m/s)

rolls towards a gun as shown. The gunman hopes to
keep the ball away by shooting a bullet (m2 = 1.1 kg, v2I
= 95.0 m/s) into the ball.
What type of a collision is the one depicted here?

m1v1 ball?
m2V2 MVF
m
m1v1Fvelocity
m2 v2 Fof the bowling
1I mis
2 vthe
2 I final
1vWhat

Momentum Inelastic
Collisions
m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F

m1v1I m2V2 I MVF

Two Dimensional Elastic

Collision
Elastic Collision: A q-ball (m = 0.6 kg) collides with an
eight ball (m = 0.7 kg) that was initially at rest. The initial
velocity of the q-ball was V1I = 1.2 m/s. After the collision,
the q-ball moves away with a velocity V1F = 0.6 m/s at an
angle of 45. Determine the velocity, V2F, of the eight ball
after the collision.

P2 I 0

P2 F
P1I
P1F

Two Dimensional Elastic

Collision
Draw vector diagrams showing
the resultant velocities of the
colliding bodies.
This procedure is the same one
used when solving force
problems using free body
diagrams.

r
r
r
r
m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F

m1v1Iy m2v2 Iy m1v1Fy m2v2 Fy

m1v1Ix m2v2 Ix m1v1Fx m2 v2 Fx

P2 I 0
P2F
P2 Fx

P1Fx
P1F

P1Fy

P2Fy
P1I

Two Dimensional Inelastic

Collision
Inelastic Collision: A bullet (m = 0.15 kg) collides
with a bowling ball (m = 6.0 kg) that was initially
moving at a velocity of v2I = 0.75 m/s due left. The
initial velocity of the bullet was v1I = 145 m/s at an
angle of 35. The bullet sticks inside of the ball.
Determine the velocity, VF, after the collision.

P1I

P2 I
PF

Two Dimensional Inelastic

Collision

Draw vector diagrams

showing the resultant
velocities of the colliding
bodies.
This procedure is the
same one used when
solving force problems
using free body diagrams.

r
r
r
m1v1I m2v2 I MVF

m1v1Ix m2 v2 Ix MVFx
m1v1Iy m2 v2 Iy MVFy

P1I

PFx

P2 Ix

PFy
PF

P2 I

P2 Iy

Momentum
A bowling ball (m = 8.50 kg, v = 4.00 m/s @ 12.5) strikes a bowling pin (m = 1.80
kg) initially at rest.
After the collision, the pin has a velocity of 9.85 m/s @ 45.0.
What is the final velocity of the bowling ball?

Momentum Elastic Collision

Example
Three identical hockey
pucks on a frictionless air
table have repelling
magnets attached.
They are initially held
together and then
released.
What is the initial
momentum of this system?
Each has the same speed
at any instant.
One puck moves due
North.
In which directions do the
other two pucks move?

r
r
r
r
m1v1I m2 v2 I m1v1F m2 v2 F
r
r
r
m1v1I m2 v2 I MVF

Intersection Collision
Problems
Two cars approach an
intersection with a
malfunctioning stop light.
The red car (m = 2000.00 kg)
approaches the intersection
from the North.
The blue car (m = 2250.00
kg) approaches the
intersection from the West at
the speed limit (40.0 km/hr)
on both roads.
Cars are designed to collide
in-elastically in order to
minimize injury to
passengers.
After the collision, the cars
move at a velocity of 31.7
km/hr @ -48.01.
If you were the police officer
investigating the accident,
then would you write one of
the drivers a citation?
Explain your answer.

Momentum Elastic
Collisions

The defender below tries to stop the puck by pushing his

paddle (m = 0.50 kg) across the table at a velocity of 0.60 m/s
at 88.55.
After the collision, the paddle moves at a velocity of 0.25 m/s
at -85.98, and the puck (m = 0.20 kg) moves at a velocity of
3.05 m/s at 44.00.
Is the puck speed shown on the laser speed detector correct?
Justify/explain your answer.

Momentu
m
While climbing a cliff, a super model (m = 51.0 kg)
slips and falls.
She falls 35.00 m before she is rescued by Super
Doctor Physics (m = 63.0 kg, v = 27.85 m/s @ 130).
What was their velocity immediately after the
collision?