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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Why is force described as rate of change of momentum?

momentum = mass * velocity Differentiating both sides leads to force = mass * acceleration since the mass doesn't participate in the differentiation as it is constant. Is this a sound ...
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Will a stone thrown in space move forever?

If I throw a stone on space, in a place where gravity is equal zero, will the stone move forward forever, because no air, so no friction?
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1answer
142 views

M1 vs M2 on a frictionless surface

I was wondering, if I had a frictionless surface and I had an M1 that was 100kg and an M2 that was 1kg and I pushed each separately with an equal force F would they move at the same speed or am I ...
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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
97 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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664 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 ...
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333 views

Elastic Collision And Momentum

The question I am working on is, "Two blocks are free to slide along the friction-less wooden track shown below. The block of mass $m_1 = 4.98~kg$ is released from the position shown, at height $h = ...
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1answer
63 views

Physics Impulse

This is the problem I am dealing with: "One of the functions of an automotive air bag is that it lengthens the collision time. Without an air bag, suppose the 100Ns impulse of a collision is taken up ...
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1answer
69 views

A Decrease In Momentum?

The specifics of a question I am working on are, "After a 0.280-kg rubber ball is dropped from a height of 1.80 m, it bounces off a concrete floor and rebounds to a height of 1.45 m." Why doesn't the ...
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1answer
108 views

Non-relativistic Kepler orbits

Consider the Newtonian gravitational potential at a distance of Sun: $$\varphi \left ( r \right )~=~-\frac{GM}{r}.$$ I write the classical Lagrangian in spherical coordinates for a planet with mass ...
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4answers
195 views

Find total energy and momentum of an moving electron in a rest frame

I have an electron moving with speed $u'$ in a frame $S'$ moving with speed $v'$ relative to a rest frame $S$. How do I find the total energy and momentum of the electron in the rest frame $S$? I ...
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2answers
158 views

Having Trouble With The Principle Of Conservation Of Momentum For a Multiparticle System

I'am reading John Taylor's Classical Mechanics chapter 1 page 20 where he proves the principle of conservation of momentum which states "If the net external force $F^{ext}$ on an $N$-particle system ...
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232 views

End position of movement factoring in deceleration

Ok I am hoping to apply this answer to a piece of software, but it uses physics to work out the result so I require some help in that department. I will attempt to explain this the best I can. I ...
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1answer
172 views

Momentum question?

The problem: In a car crash, a passenger with a mass of 82kg is not wearing a seatbelt. The car is travelling at 45km per hour. What impulse must the car's airbag provide in order to stop the ...
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1answer
70 views

Expectation value of momentum

I'm having a problem with an expectation value that doesn't seem to add up for me. What I know is, that $\psi(\vec{r})$ is a wavefunction for a particle in three dimensions. The Hamiltonian is given ...
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1answer
27 views

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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1answer
75 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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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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1answer
83 views

What is the momentum of these emitted photons?

5 x 10^7 kg of radioactive material emits energy in the form of photons of red light (700 nm). (Note: photons have no mass.) What is the momentum of each photon? ...
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239 views

Can conservation of momentum related to Newton's first law?

I know this is a scrap of thought, but the first law states that (from Wikipedia): If an object experiences no net force, then its velocity is constant Is it describing the conservation of ...
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111 views

Is air drag equation in term of momentum still valid?

This is the known equation of air drag: $$m{\bf a}=mg-\mathcal D=mg-b{\bf v}.$$ Considering this, is air drag equation in term of momentum still valid? $$m{\bf v}=mv_g-b{\bf r}.$$
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1answer
119 views

Analysis of the impulse of 2 colliding carts under the effect of magnetic repulsion

Hi there! I have a question about an experiment that was conducted. It is related to momentum. 2 carts were put on a track on opposite sides. They were then propelled towards one another at ...
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1answer
356 views

Relative Velocity and Momentum

The question is, "A $45.5~kg$ girl is standing on a $140~kg$ plank. Both originally at rest on a frozen lake that constitutes a friction-less, flat surface. The girl begins to walk along the plank at ...
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205 views

What is the linear momentum of an inelastic and elastic collision?

The arrows in the figure represent the linear momentum of two balls before they collide. If the collision is perfectly inelastic, find the linear momentum after the collision. If the collision is ...
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92 views

Would synchronized dancing be a good way to describe entangled atoms to a laymen?

I was talking my professor about entanglement swapping between light and matter and it is briefly described here: You start out with a crystal capable of doing parametric down conversion of incoming ...
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Really basic mechanics and Galilean Relativity question

Consider two solid objects: A and B. System 1: A <----- B 10m/s System 2: A -----> B 10m/s ...
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190 views

inertia of a football and its angular momentum

What are the ways to create a mathematical model for the inertia of a football? Can the inertial of the football simplified to two cones stack against each other? I'm trying to find the angular ...
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2answers
94 views

The time for which rear moving block remain in contact with spring in the following situation? [closed]

I'm a physics tutor. I'm stuck up with this question. I've no clue about how to proceed with this question. Can any one help? A 2 Kg block moving with 10 m/s strikes a spring of constant π^2 N/m ...
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284 views

Kinetic energy absorbing in order to avoid damages?

is this possible? To absorb kinetic energy and disable inertia force? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnKPbAbJI0w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_5oseSVUc4
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1answer
184 views

Why electromagnetic waves propagating along x transfers to electron momentum along z?

Why EM waves having only x momentum transfers to electron z momentum? Electron begins oscillating along z, so will not radiate EM waves along z direction, to compensate its z momentum. It seems that ...
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25 views

system of tubed colliders and desired direction of movement

Imagine tube with mass M and inside it an object with mass M2 that we can force into direction x or -x. Let us say that desired direction is x. Collision between the wall at the end of the tube and ...
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0answers
17 views

What determines the motion in a Newton's craddle? [duplicate]

Let's say we have a Newton's cradle with five metal balls, each with a mass $m$. You pick up one and release it, and right before impact it has a velocity $v$. What determines weather the ball at the ...
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0answers
29 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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2answers
48 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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190 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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0answers
35 views

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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0answers
38 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
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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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0answers
44 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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38 views

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
269 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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1answer
203 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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1answer
84 views

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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1answer
294 views

Kinetic energy in the center of mass

In a collision of a particle of mass $m_1$ moving with speed $v_1$ with a stationary particle of mass $m_2$ not all the original kinetic energy can be converted into heat or internal energy. what ...
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81 views

A momentum problem [closed]

A 3.0 kg car A travelling 8.5m/s on a frictionless track collides and sticks on to a stationary 2.0 kg car B.
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0answers
28 views

Elastic Collision Between Two Objects [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Elastic Collision And Momentum I've already asked this question, Elastic Collision And Momentum, but I didn't find the answer particularly helpful--sorry, I don't mean ...
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1answer
138 views

Momentum And Energy Problem

The information to the question is, "A $59.0~kg$ boy and his $38.0~kg$ sister, both wearing roller blades, face each other at rest. The girl pushes the boy hard, sending him backward with a velocity ...
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0answers
44 views

What is the momentum of the system in the center of mass frame? [closed]

During a baseball game, a batter approaches the plate. The pitcher hurtles the ball in the direction of the batter at a speed of 85 miles per hour. The batter swings and makes contact with the ball. ...
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0answers
838 views

Moment of Inertia problem [closed]

I'm revising for my exam and there's this one problem where I can't get the correct answer, so I'd like to know how to solve it. The problem is: Two boys, each with a mass of 30kg, are sitting ...
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1answer
305 views

Momentum in quantum mechanics

In quantum mechanics, we can have some superposition of matter waves that have different wavelengths. If then, can't momentum of a particle change every time measurement takes place? Or should I ...