Key Question
What is momentum, and
when is it conserved?
Cengage
Reading Quiz
In Chapters 8 and 9, we introduced a very powerful concept: the conservation of energy principle. However, energy is a scalar quantity, so the
conservation of energy principle only helps us find magnitudes, but not
directions, of quantities.
Fortunately, energy is not the only conserved quantity. The vector quantity known as momentum (the product of mass and velocity) is also
conserved. Because momentum is a vector, conservation of momentum
may be used to find directional information.
Momentum of a Particle
r
The momentum p of a particle is defined as the product of
r
r
its mass and its velocity: p mv
r
r
p mv
r
r
dv
F
dt
r d (mvr )
F dt
r dpr
This form of Newtons 2nd law
F
r
r
p f mv f
vy vy 0 a yt
0 ( g )t gt
r
v f gt
j (9.81 m/s 2 )(5.3) j 52 j m/s
r
r
p f mv f
r
p1 f (2.5 kg)(52 m/s)
j 1.3 10 2 j kg m/s
r
p2 f (5.0 kg)(52 m/s)
j 2.6 10 2 j kg m/s
r dpr
F dt
r
dp
mg j
dt
r
mgdt j dp
t
r
pf
mgdt
r
dp
(mgt ) j p f
No y-component of momentum.
After rebound :
( p x ) f m(vx ) f (0.25 kg)(-1.1 m/s) - 0.28 kg m/s
The change in momentum :
p x ( p x ) f ( p x ) i (0.28 kg m/s) (0.33 kg m/s)
0.61 kg m/s
r
r
p mv
r r r
p pf pi
-20 kg m/s
-10 kg m/s
+10 kg m/s
+20 kg m/s
+30 kg m/s
m
L
dm
xcm
M
dx
L
M
x0 x L dx
xcm
1
1 1
xdx x 2
L x 0
L 2
x 0
1
L
2
Checking Understanding
Which point could be the center of gravity of this L-shaped
piece?
The center of mass location must lie within the boundary of the object.
2010 Pearson Education, Inc.
Total Momentum
r
r
p mv
System of particles:
r
r
r
m1v1 m2 v2 .....
r
mi vi
M
r
r
r
m1a1 m2 a2 .....
Acceleration of the Center of Mass: Acm
m 1 m2 .....
r
r r
r
r
r
r
MAcm m1a1 m2 a2 ..... F1 F2 ..... Ftotal Fnet
r
mi ai
M
Conservation of Momentum
r
r
Fnet MAcm
r
r
Fnet, ext MAcm
r
r
r
dPCM
Fext on k Fnet ext
dt
k
r
r
r
r
r
Fnet system Fnet internal Fnet external 0 Fnet external Fnet external
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley.
r
r
r
dP
Fext on k Fnet ext
dt
k
If the center of mass is not accelerating, there is an inertial reference
frame in which the center of mass is at rest (vCM = 0) known as the centerof-mass frame. In the center-of-mass frame, pCM = 0; therefore, the total
momentum of the system is zero (ptot = 0).
n
r
r
r
r
ptotal p j MVcm pCM constant
j 1
2 v0 i
m1 m2
mm
Momentum conservation :
mv0 mvf mvf
vf 12 v0
vf i 12 v0 i
m1 m2
mm
r
r
MAcm Fnet, ext
The center of mass of a fireworks rocket follows a parabolic path
until it explodes. After exploding, its center of mass continues on the
same parabolic path until some of the fragments start to land.
P p1 p2 p3 ....... p N pk
k 1
The time derivative of P tells us how the total momentum of the system changes with time :
N
dP N dp k
Fk
dt k 1 dt
k 1
The net force acting on particle k can be divided into external forces, from outside the
system, and the interactio n forces due to the other particles in the system :
Fk F j on k Fext on k
j k
dP
F j on k Fext on k
dt
k j k
k
Fk on j F j on k Fk on j F j on k 0
r
r
r
dP
Fext on k Fnet ext
dt
k
r
MaCM
r
r
r
dPCM
r
r
Fnet ext 0
r
aCM
r
dPCM r
0
dt
n
r
r
r
r
PCM = ptotal p j MVcm constant
j 1
r
r
Pf Pi
Momentum Conservation
r r
P pball
r
dP r
Fnet ext
dt
No external
force in this
system,
hence the total
momentum is
constant.
dP
0
dt
Conservation of Mometum
1.
2.
3.
4.
ext
and:
MaCM
dt
CM
r
r
pi , tot p f , tot
ext
r
dP r
0
dt
r
r
Pf Pi
always.
if no external forces act on the system.
if no internal forces act on the system.
never; momentum is only approximately conserved.
Two ice skaters, Sandra and David, stand facing each other on frictionless ice.
Sandra has a mass of 45 kg, David a mass of 80 kg. They then push off from each
other. After the push, Sandra moves off at a speed of 2.2 m/s.
What is Davids speed?
Initial total momentum:
Pi = mD (vDx)i + mS (vSx)i
= (80kg)*(0m/s) + (45kg)*(0m/s)
=0
Final total momentum:
Pf = mD (vDx)f + mS (vSx)f
= (80kg)*(vDx)f + (45kg)*(2.2m/s)
(Ptot)f = (Ptot)i
Momentum conservation:
(vDx ) f
mS
(vSx ) f
mD
45 kg
2.2 m/s 1.2 m/s
80 kg
r
r
PTot, f PTot, i
pix mc vc
p fx (mc mh )v f
mc vc (mc mh )v f
mc vc
(93 kg)(20 m/s)
vf
4.3 m/s
mc mh (93 kg 340 kg)
Fall 2011
a) speeds up
b) maintains constant speed
c) slows down
d) stops immediately
Rockets
Rocket propulsion is an example of conservation of momentum:
A large rock explodes into three pieces of mass m1 = 60 kg, m2 = 30 kg, and
m3 = 10 kg. The piece with mass m1 moves straight up with a speed of 10 m/s. The
piece with mass m2 moves directly to the right at a speed of 50 m/s. What is the
velocity vector of the third piece of mass m3? Write your answer in i, j unit vector
r
r
notation.
x : Px ,i ,Tot Px , f ,Tot
PTot, i PTot, f
m2 v2, xf m3v3, xf
v3. xf
m2
v2, xf
m3
30 kg
(50 m/s)
10 kg
150 m/s
m
1 v1, yf
m3
y : Py ,i ,Tot Py , f ,Tot
0
m1v1, yf m3v3, yf
v3. yf
60 kg
(10 m/s)
10 kg
60 m/s
r
v3 f (150 m/s i 60 m/s j )
A. Right end
B. Left end
Rocket Propulsion
Pi Pf
M m v M (v v) m(v ve )
M m v R , i M ( v R , i v R ) m ( v R , f
ve )
mvR ,i M vR m vR , f m ve
t 0: vR ,i vR , f 0 M vR m ve
M v m ve
As t 0, v dv and m dm.
dm dM
Mdv ve dM
vf
Mf
dv v
e
vi
Mi
dM
M
M i
v f vi ve ln
M
Rocket Propulsion
As t 0, v dv and m dm.
dm dM
Mdv ve dM
FThrust
dv
dM
Ma M
ve
dt
dt
E balloon (exhaust)
R Raft (rocket)
ground (Earth)
M Ri the initial mass of rocket
M Rf the final mass of rocket
r
r
pi p f
r
r
r
r
mvE ,i M R vR ,i mvE , f M R vR , f
r
r
r
r
mvR ,i mvE , f M R vR , f M R vR ,i
Relative velocity:
r
r
r
vE vER vR
r
r
r
r
mvR ,i m vER , f vR , f M R vR
r
r
mvER , f M R vR
r
r
M R vR mvER
Consider the continuous exhausting of water with the fire house. Just as in the case of
the balloon, the water is exhausted from the hose at vER with respect to the raft rocket.
We imagine breaking up the steady stream of water coming out of the fire hose into
small disks of mass dm. Each of these imaginary disks of water is like a very small
water balloon. When a small mass of water dm is ejected from the rocket, the rockets
velocity changes by a small amount dvRg.
r
r
M R vR mvER
r
r
M R dvR (dm)vER
r
r
dm dM R M R dvR ( dM R )vER
r
r dM R
dvR vER
M Rf
r
r
vR vER ln
M
Ri
r
The change in the rocket's velocity vR
is in the opposite direction to the exhaust
r
velocity vER .
r
vRf
r
vRi
r
dvR
M Rf
r dM R
v
M ER M R
Ri
M Rf
r
r
r
vRf vRi vER ln
M
Ri
v
pR = R R
ER
How is it related to force?
For t 0, m dm :
r
r pr
m r
vR
vER
F
MR
t
t
t
dm
dM R
dt
dt
r
dvR dM R r
MR
vER
dt
dt
r
r dM R
Fthrust v ER
dt
dM R
has a negative value.
dt
t
r m
r r
m
f vi
t
t
r
(14, 000 kg/s) 2900 m/s j 0
4.06 107 N j
r
r
Fthrust Fgas ejection
4.06 107 N j
General Principles