Difference between revisions of "Momentum"
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== Frequently Asked Questions == | == Frequently Asked Questions == | ||
| + | === What is the difference between momentum and kinetic energy? === | ||
| + | Say you apply a constant force F on a car of mass m for a time t to push it north on a frictionless road and it attains a velocity v. It now has a momentum of mv and a [[kinetic energy]] of ½ mv<sup>2</sup>. Now consider a small toy car, the size of your palm with a lesser mass. To reach the same momentum, you need to apply the same force for a longer time and distance to accelerate it to a suitable velocity. Comparing to the real car, the toy car would have the same momentum now, but a very high kinetic energy. Momentum is a vector quantity that varies linearly with velocity and kinetic energy is a scalar quantity that varies in a quadratic way with the velocity. | ||
Revision as of 12:05, 21 October 2016
Explanation
Momentum is generally defined as the 'oomph' of an object. Momentum of the object, denoted by p, is the product of mass m and the velocity v of the object. The unit of momentum (p = mv) is kg m/s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between momentum and kinetic energy?
Say you apply a constant force F on a car of mass m for a time t to push it north on a frictionless road and it attains a velocity v. It now has a momentum of mv and a kinetic energy of ½ mv2. Now consider a small toy car, the size of your palm with a lesser mass. To reach the same momentum, you need to apply the same force for a longer time and distance to accelerate it to a suitable velocity. Comparing to the real car, the toy car would have the same momentum now, but a very high kinetic energy. Momentum is a vector quantity that varies linearly with velocity and kinetic energy is a scalar quantity that varies in a quadratic way with the velocity.