(Linear) momentum is the product of mass (
Impulse is the product of force (
The impulse-momentum principle states the impulse imparted by a force is equal to the change in momentum:
Force and velocity are both vector quantities, so momentum and impulse are also vector quantities. The direction should be show correctly using the appropriate sign.
If there are no external impulses, then the law of conservation of momentum applies:
Collisions range from perfectly elastic to perfectly inelastic. In a perfectly elastic collision. no kinetic energy is lost from the system. In a perfectly inelastic collision, the two objects coalesce.
For two smooth spheres, Newton's Experimental Law states that:
Where
When modelling collisions between spheres, the assumptions generally are:
When a sphere collides with a fixed plane, momentum is not conserved because the wall does not usually move. Newton's Experimental Law still holds, so by considering
For an object moving in a horizontal circular path of radius
Generally, circular motion problems will involve resolving forces acting horizontally and vertically. The solution may also involve solving simultaneous equations.
The author regrets that there are no additional notes (seriously). Completing large numbers of circular motion practice problems is highly recommended. The author concedes that this topic has been haphazardly shoved here because it is too short to warrant its own page.
Footnote on perfectly inelastic collisions
For this course, 'inelastic' is taken to mean 'perfectly inelastic', that is