If an object's mass stays the same, but the speed gets cut in half, what happens to the momentum?

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stays the same
halves
doubles
not enough info

1 answer

Momentum is calculated using the formula:

\[ p = m \cdot v \]

where \( p \) is momentum, \( m \) is mass, and \( v \) is velocity.

If the object's mass \( m \) stays the same, but the speed \( v \) is cut in half, the new momentum \( p' \) can be expressed as:

\[ p' = m \cdot \left( \frac{v}{2} \right) = \frac{1}{2} (m \cdot v) = \frac{1}{2} p \]

This shows that the new momentum is half the original momentum.

Thus, the momentum halves.