In introductory mechanics, the momentum of a particle is its mass times its velocity. In electrodynamics, the momentum of a field is proportional to the cross-product of the electric field with the magnetic field. In special relativity, momentum is generalized to four-momentum.
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Kinetic energy when $F(t)$ graph is given
The very basic problem here is that the point where this graph ends is ambiguous. I mean, what is the corresponding $y$-value for the point whose $x$-valu is $4.5s$? Then I think we should find the ...
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79 views
+250
Best current bounds on nonconservation of momentum?
It's not straightforward to test conservation of momentum experimentally, and many experiments that seem like tests really aren't. For example, in a Newtonian system of identical particles that ...
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2answers
48 views
Momentum, Impulse and Newton's Second Law of Motion
Newton formulated his Second Law as such:
$$\sum{\vec{F}} = \frac{\delta \vec{p}}{\delta t}$$
and of course, $\vec{p} = m \vec{v}$.
Why is it that if the net force $\sum \vec{F}$ is constant (which ...
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28 views
Schrodinger equation in momentum space [duplicate]
I have a problem this is:
When I solve the Schrodinger equation in momentum space, I had done as this:
$\begin{array}{l}
i\hbar \frac{{\partial \Psi }}{{\partial t}} = - \frac{\hbar ...
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1answer
25 views
Two dimensional elastic collisions with varying angle of incident
If in an elastic collision I know all initial values and that mass for each object remains constant throughout the collision (but different from one another) how can I determine their final velocity ...
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79 views
How multiple objects in contact are resolved in an inelastic collision, when edge normals don't “line up”
In a case I understand, let's say I have an object A moving at velocity V toward 3 objects in contact B, C, and D:
The momentum of A is the mass of A times its velocity. To figure out how the ...
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2answers
44 views
Simple conservation of momentum and frame of reference problem
I'm making a very simple physics engine based on momentum, and I'm solving what response to use for a collision from each involved object's frame of reference. However, something about how I'm ...
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2answers
164 views
Is there a momentum for charge?
Since mass and charge behave similarly, so, just like center of mass, I define a point center of charge, that is defined by
$$\vec r_{qm} = \frac {\sum{q_i \vec r_i}} {\sum{q_i}}$$
where $\vec r_i$ ...
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2answers
132 views
What does it mean if a body has kinetic energy?
What does it mean if a body has kinetic energy?
Does it mean that the momentum vectors of each particle of that body has the same direction?
What about angular momentum?
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1answer
70 views
Conservation of momentum in collision of two bodies
Suppose we have some ramp on wheels of mass $M$, standing on a
frictionless surface. A cart of mass $m$ moves with a certain velocity
$v$ towards the ramp. The cart moves up the ramp ...
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1answer
139 views
General relativity and the conservation of momentum
I'm trying to understand the conservation of momentum in general relativity.
Due to the curvature of space-time by matters and energy, the path of a linear motion appears to be distorted.
Therefore ...
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2answers
144 views
Perpendicular Elastic Collision (different masses, different velocities)
I'm stuck on a mechanics problem and I can't make any headway past momentum and kinetic energy being conserved. Here is the problem:
Two hover cars are approaching an intersection from ...
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Question about momentum [closed]
Starting at rest, two students stand on 13.7-kg sleds, which point away from each other on ice, and they pass a 5.50-kg medicine ball back and forth. The student on the left has a mass of 58.7 kg and ...
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1answer
90 views
Hermitian Adjoint of differential operator
I came across this equation (identity) (Eq. 4 in this paper):
$\int(-i d\psi/dx)^*\psi dx = \int \psi^*(-i d\psi/dx) dx + id(\psi^*\psi)/dx\mid_{-\infty}^{+\infty}$
I have trouble proving it. I ...
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2answers
157 views
Firing machine question
Suppose we have a firing machine on a frictionless surface at point $x=0$. It fires a bullet of mass $m$ every $T$ seconds. Each bullet has the same constant velocity $v_0$. There's a body of mass ...
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2answers
58 views
Two-body problem questions
I am self studying the two body problem and I'm stuck on the following:
I have given $$\ddot{\vec{x}}_1= - G m_2 \frac{\vec{x}_1-\vec{x}_2}{|\vec{x}_1-\vec{x}_2|^3}$$ and $$\ddot{\vec{x}}_2= - G ...
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0answers
35 views
Changing Momentum [closed]
A high school football player hits and pushes a tackling dummy during practice. The following graph shows the amount of force that acts on the player.
a. What is the impulse that acts on the ...
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0answers
28 views
Changing Momentum [closed]
Changing Momentum
The illustrations show two ways of providing impulse to change the momentum of a vehicle. In the top illustration, the vehicle collides with a massive concrete barrier. In the ...
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1answer
57 views
Quantum mechanical analogue of conjugate momentum
In classical mechanics, we define the concept of canonical momentum conjugate to a given generalised position coordinate. This quantity is the partial derivative of the Lagrangian of the system, with ...
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1answer
60 views
Single photon's effect on conservation of momentum?
When your looking at basic Compton theory you find that if you shoot a stream of photons at a particle (usually atoms or electrons), then you have the basic laws of conservation of momentum. The ...
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1answer
55 views
Fundamental properties of motion
The first paragraph of the Wikipedia article on the angular momentum operator states that
In both classical and quantum mechanical systems, angular momentum
(together with linear momentum and ...
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0answers
35 views
Conservation of momentum in two body collision [closed]
A neutron of mass $1.7\times10^{-27}\ \mathrm{kg}$, travelling at $2.7\ \mathrm{km/s}$, hits a stationary lithium nucleus of mass $1.2\times10^{-26}\ \mathrm{kg}$. After the collision, the velocity of ...
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1answer
56 views
Determine KE of electron given momentum & mass [closed]
Some info:
wavelength of electron: $2.78 \times 10^{-10}$
momentum of electron: $2.38 \times 10^{-24}$
Determine KE of electron. In a provided hint: $KE = \frac{p^2}{2m}$. So I have:
$$KE = ...
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5answers
173 views
Why is momentum conserved (or rather what makes an object carry on moving infinitely)?
I know this is an incredibly simple question, but I am trying to find a very simple explanation to this other than the simple logic that energy is conserved when two items impact and bounce off each ...
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1answer
72 views
Newton's second law?
$F=ma$. A car strikes a wall at 60 mph. Its acceleration is zero at the time. The force of the car against the wall or vice versa is? To look at the car the force is not zero. Please explain.
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1answer
142 views
Why is momentum conserved when a ball hits a vertical wall?
Almost in every book on physics, there's an example of conservation of momentum when the ball that is moving horizontally in the air, hits some massive wall. They claim that the return speed of the ...
3
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2answers
72 views
Conservation of Linear Momentum at the point of collision
This is a pretty basic conceptual question about the conservation of linear momentum.
Consider an isolated system of 2 fixed-mass particles of masses $m_1$ and $m_2$ moving toward each other with ...
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1answer
150 views
Definition of energy
What is the definition of energy $E$ given a dispersion relation $\omega=\omega(k)$ where $k=|\vec k|$ and $\omega$ is not necessarily linearly proportional to $k$? What about momentum $\vec p$?
This ...
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2answers
48 views
effect of vertical collision on kinetic friction and subsequent change in horizontal velocity
Suppose somehow a block of mass $m$ is moving on ground, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the block is $\mu_k$. If I drop a tennis ball(of same mass) on it from a ...
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2answers
56 views
Minimum $E$ of $p\bar{p}$-collision for $q\bar{q}$ pair with mass $m_q$
I am currently working out the energy required to create a particle anti-particle pair from a collision of a proton travelling along the x-direction with an anti-proton which is at rest. The particle ...
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2answers
113 views
Movement of man and ladder and their center of mass
Suppose there is a massless frictionless pulley.
A rope over it carries a mass $M$ and on other side carries a ladder of mass $(M-m)$ and a man on that ladder, of mass $m$. Now the man starts ...
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3answers
190 views
Where do the conservation laws come from?
I know the conservation of energy comes from Noether's theorem via the time-translational symmetry, and if I remember correctly, the conservation of momentum comes from space-translational symmetry.
...
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0answers
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Need help with relativistic dynamics
I understand the concept, but I'm having a hard time applying the consequences of conservation (energy/momentum). For example:
A proton with kinetic energy 437 MeV hits a proton at rest elastically ...
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1answer
117 views
Relativistic kinematics of particle decay
Suppose a particle decays to three other particles. The masses of all particles are assumed to be known and we work in the rest frame of the parent particle.
So there are 12 parameters for this ...
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1answer
122 views
Inelastic collision and impulse
Suppose I have some cart moving horizontally in a straight line and with a constant velocity, and there is no friction between the surface and the cart. Now, I throw a plasticine on the cart at some ...
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2answers
64 views
Conservation of Momentum from Recoil Speed
A gun has a recoil speed of 2 m/s when firing. If the gun has a mass of 2kg and the bullet has a mass of 10g (0.01 kg) what speed does the bullet come out at?
The gun has zero total momentum before ...
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1answer
259 views
Nuclear reaction: creation of deuterium
A proton p collides with a neutron(at rest) n at relatively low-energies and creates a 'deuterium-core' d:
p+n->d+γ
Find the wavelength for the photon as a function of the proton's momentum and the ...
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0answers
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How do I find the force from drop shock using material properties?
I am dropping a cylindrical cast iron bar with a know elastic modulus and poisson's ratio, $E_{1}$ and $v_{1}$, onto a flat beam of elastic modulus, $E_{2}$ and $v_{2}$ so there is tangential drop ...
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4answers
201 views
Bat hitting a ball
When a bat hits a ball, consider two cases:
1) The batsman goes for a defense, and stonewalls it, to reduce its speed.
2) the batsman goes for a shot, e.g. a home-run, etc.
in which case will the ...
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1answer
70 views
Shooting a bullet at a system of blocks [closed]
So, I made this question up myself.... and I'm curious about the answer. It requires only secondary-school-level knowledge of physics:
You have a surface (ground) with a certain coefficient of ...
2
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2answers
102 views
A thought on definition of momentum
Well, this is a simple, basic and I think even silly doubt. The first time I saw the definition of momentum as $p = mv$ I started to think why this is a good definition. So I've read the beginning of ...
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4answers
167 views
Can a balloon be used as an anchor point for a pulley?
For a physics/ engineering contest, I want to use a large balloon as an anchor point for a pulley. This would allow me to raise and drop masses.
However, in testing, when I pull on the pulley the ...
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2answers
101 views
Do photons actually generate a slight kinetic force?
My question is even though photons have no (rest) mass, do they emit a external force due to EM radiation causing electrons to be excited and jump to higher energy shells which electrons have mass ...
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2answers
410 views
Calculating force of impact
Since $\text{force = mass}\times\text{acceleration}$,
is it right to say that an object traveling at a high
constant velocity (zero acceleration), exerts zero
force upon impact with a stationary ...
1
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1answer
75 views
Can electromagnetic momentum be introduced at pre-university level as for electromagnetic energy?
Electromagnetic energy is introduced at pre-university level, starting with static electric energy followed by static magnetic energy. But the introduction of electromagnetic momentum usually has to ...
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1answer
160 views
Calculating a 2D collision between two perfectly circular disks
Assume I have two disks, $p_1$ and $p_2$, of radius $r$, with their own velocities (preferably in $(x,y)$ form, but $(m, \theta)$ works too) and masses (unit-less, but same unit) collide in two ...
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0answers
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A 0.1kg ball of dough is thrown up with a velocity of 15m/s. What is the momentum halfway up? [closed]
I know that $p=mv$ and (0.1kg)(15m/s)=1.5 kg m/s and the momentum at the vertex is 0, but what is the momentum halfway up?
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1answer
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Combining Conservation Laws ~ Homework Problem Guidance
Problem 8.79 - Combining Conservation Laws
A 5.00-kg chunk of ice is sliding at 12.0 m/s on the floor of an ice-covered valley when it collides with and sticks to another 5.00-kg chunk of ice that is ...
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3answers
346 views
What is the difference between impulse and momentum?
What is the difference between impulse and momentum?
The question says it all...I know the second of of them is mass * velocity, but what is the first one for, and when is it used? Also, what are its ...
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1answer
140 views
What happens if object is thrown in empty space?
If I throw a object in empty space, I apply a force to throw that.
Then it gains some acceleration and it's speed increases.
So will it's speed keep on increasing, or it will get stable?
If yes, ...
