Asked by w

How do you calculate momentum?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Linear (classical) momentum:
- p = m v
- p is momentum (vector), m is mass, v is velocity (vector).
- Units: kg·m/s.

Key relations:
- Newton’s 2nd law in momentum form: F_net = dp/dt.
- Impulse: Δp = ∫ F dt ≈ FΔt for constant force.
- Conservation: total momentum of an isolated system is constant.

Examples:
- A 2.0 kg object moving at 3.0 m/s: p = 2.0·3.0 = 6.0 kg·m/s (in the direction of motion).
- A constant 5 N force applied for 0.2 s gives Δp = 5·0.2 = 1.0 kg·m/s.

Other cases:
- Relativistic momentum (when v is close to c): p = γ m v, where γ = 1/√(1 − v²/c²).
- For photons: p = E/c = h/λ (energy divided by light speed).
- Angular momentum: L = r × p for a point particle.

If you tell me the mass and velocity (or a force and time), I can compute a specific momentum for you.