Section 7.

Law of conservation
of momentum

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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 165)

Law of conservation of momentum

change in
a net force
momentum
What is the change
in momentum during
a collision?

Go to

Activity 1
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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 165)

Law of conservation of momentum

Before collision During collision After collision

Before collision: After collision:

velocity of A = uA velocity of A = vA

velocity of B = uB velocity of B = vB

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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 165)

By Newton’s third law,

Impulsive force on A by B (FA) = − Impulsive force on B by A (FB)

Rate of change of momentum of A = − Rate of change of momentum of B

Change of momentum of A = − Change of momentum of B

ChangeTime of impact of A = − ChangeTime

of momentum of impact of B
of momentum

mA× vA − mA× uA = − (mB× vB − mB× uB)

mA× vA + mB× vB = mA× uA + mB× uB

Total momentum after collision = Total momentum before collision

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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 165)

Law of conservation of momentum

Law of conservation of momentum:

→ no external forces
→ total momentum before collision
= total momentum after collision
mAuA + mBuB = mAvA + mBvB
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 To section 7.4

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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 164)

Activity 1:
Newton’s cradle

Let’s start:

1. Pull a ball to a certain height. Then releases it.

What happens? Ans
wer
When a ball is released and hit the other balls, a ball
on the other side swings up to about the same height.
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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 164)

Activity 1(Cont):
Newton’s cradle
2. Pull two balls to a certain height. Then
releases them. What happens? Repeat the
experiment with three and then four balls.
Ans
What happen?
wer
When two balls are released and hit the other balls,
two balls on the other side swing up to about the
same height.
When three or four balls are released, the same
number of balls on teh other side swing up.

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7.3 Law of conservation of momentum (SB p. 164)

Activity 1(Cont):
Newton’s cradle
3. Can you explain the
above results from the
law of conservation of
momentum ? Ans
wer
From the law of conservation of momentum, the
momentum before collision is equal to the
momentum after collision. Therefore, when one or
more balls are released, an equal number of balls on
the other side swing up. Return to

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