Grade 10
  1. Mechanics  1.1. Dynamics  1.1.1. Motion in one dimension  1.1.2. Motion in two dimensions  1.1.3. Displacement and Distance  1.1.4. Speed and Velocity  1.1.5. Acceleration  1.1.6. Graphical representation of motion  1.1.7. Equations of motion  1.1.8. Free fall and acceleration due to gravity  1.1.9. Projectile motion  1.1.10. Relative speed  1.2. Dynamics  1.2.1. Newton's Laws of Motion  1.2.2. Inertia and mass  1.2.3. Force and its types  1.2.4. action and reaction force  1.2.5. Friction and its effects  1.2.6. Coefficient of friction  1.2.7. Circular motion  1.2.8. Centripetal force and centripetal acceleration  1.2.9. Momentum and Impulse  1.2.10. Conservation of momentum  1.2.11. Newton's third law and applications  1.3. Work, Energy and Power  1.3.1. Work done by the force  1.3.2. Work–energy theorem  1.3.3. Kinetic energy  1.3.4. Potential energy  1.3.5. Mechanical energy  1.3.6. Energy Conservation  1.3.7. Power and efficiency  1.3.8. Renewable and non-renewable energy sources  1.4. Gravitational force  1.4.1. Newton's law of universal gravitation  1.4.2. Gravitational field and field strength  1.4.3. Acceleration due to gravity on different planets  1.4.4. Kepler's laws of planetary motion  1.4.5. Orbits and satellites  1.4.6. Weight and apparent weight  1.4.7. Gravitational potential energy
  2. Properties of matter  2.1. States of matter  2.1.1. Solid, liquid and gas  2.1.2. Molecular structure of matter  2.1.3. Intermolecular forces  2.1.4. Plasma and Bose–Einstein condensate  2.2. Pressure  2.2.1. Definition of Pressure  2.2.2. Pressure in liquids  2.2.3. Atmospheric pressure  2.2.4. Pascal's principle  2.2.5. Archimedes' Principle and Buoyancy  2.2.6. Surface tension and capillarity  2.3. Elasticity  2.3.1. Hooke's law  2.3.2. Stress and strain  2.3.3. Elastic Limit and Modulus of Elasticity  2.3.4. Applications of Elasticity
  3. Thermal physics  3.1. heat and temperature  3.1.1. Difference Between Heat and Temperature  3.1.2. Temperature scale  3.1.3. Thermal expansion  3.1.4. Thermal equilibrium  3.2. Heat transfer  3.2.1. Conductivity  3.2.2. Convection  3.2.3. Radiation  3.2.4. Insulation and its applications  3.3. Thermal properties of matter  3.3.1. Specific heat capacity  3.3.2. Latent heat and phase change  3.3.3. Boiling and Melting Point  3.3.4. Heat engines and refrigeration  3.4. Laws of Thermodynamics  3.4.1. Zeroth law of thermodynamics  3.4.2. First law of thermodynamics  3.4.3. Second law of thermodynamics  3.4.4. Carnot cycle
  4. Waves and optics  4.1. Nature and properties of waves  4.1.1. Types of waves in nature and properties of waves  4.1.2. Transverse and longitudinal waves  4.1.3. Wave parameters  4.1.4. Reflection and refraction of waves  4.1.5. Superposition and Interference  4.1.6. Standing Waves and Resonance  4.1.7. Doppler effect  4.2. Sound waves  4.2.1. Characteristics of sound waves  4.2.2. Speed of sound in different mediums  4.2.3. Applications of sound waves  4.2.4. Ultrasound and its uses  4.3. Light Waves and Optics  4.3.1. Nature of light  4.3.2. Reflection of light  4.3.3. Laws of reflection  4.3.4. Mirrors and Image Formation  4.3.5. Refraction of light  4.3.6. Snell's Law  4.3.7. Lenses and Image Formation  4.3.8. Total internal reflection and critical angle  4.3.9. Optical fibre  4.4. Optical Instruments  4.4.1. Microscope  4.4.2. Telescope  4.4.3. Human eye and vision defects  4.4.4. Camera and its working principle
  5. Electricity and Magnetism  5.1. Electrostatics  5.1.1. Electric charge and its properties  5.1.2. Conductors and Insulators  5.1.3. Coulomb's law  5.1.4. Electric field and field lines  5.1.5. Electric potential and potential difference  5.1.6. Capacitors and Capacitance  5.2. Current Electricity  5.2.1. Electric current and its measurement  5.2.2. Ohm's law  5.2.3. Resistance and resistivity  5.2.4. Series and Parallel Circuits  5.2.5. Electric power and energy  5.2.6. Kirchhoff's Laws  5.3. Magnetism and Electromagnetism  5.3.1. Magnetic field and field lines  5.3.2. Magnetic effects of electric current  5.3.3. Electromagnetic induction  5.3.4. Faraday's laws of electromagnetic induction  5.3.5. Transformers and Applications  5.3.6. AC and DC current
  6. Modern Physics  6.1. Nuclear physics  6.1.1. Structure of the atom  6.1.2. Bohr's atomic model  6.1.3. Electron Energy Levels  6.1.4. X-rays and applications  6.2. Radioactivity  6.2.1. Types of radiation  6.2.2. Half-life and radioactive decay  6.2.3. Nuclear reactions and applications  6.2.4. Fission and Fusion  6.3. Quantum physics  6.3.1. Wave–particle duality  6.3.2. Photoelectric effect  6.3.3. Energy quantization  6.3.4. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle
  7. Electronics and Communication  7.1. Semiconductors  7.1.1. Conductors, Insulators and Semiconductors  7.1.2. Diodes and their applications  7.1.3. Transistors and Logic Gates  7.1.4. LEDs and photodiodes  7.2. Communication Systems  7.2.1. Basics of communication  7.2.2. Analog and digital signals  7.2.3. Wireless and optical fibre communication  7.2.4. Radio Waves and Modulation

Grade 10 → Mechanics → Dynamics ↓


Momentum and Impulse


In the world of physics, momentum and impulse are two fundamental concepts that help us understand how objects move in space and interact with one another. These concepts are not only important to physicists, but they also have significance in practical everyday life. Here, we will explore what momentum and impulse mean, provide formulas, examples, and help clarify the concepts with some visual illustrations using SVG.

What is speed?

Momentum is a measure of an object's motion and is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. Momentum is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. The more momentum an object has, the harder it is to stop.

Formula of Momentum

P = M * V

Where:

  • p is the momentum,
  • m is the mass of the object,
  • v is the velocity of the object.

Example of Momentum

Suppose a soccer ball with a mass of 0.5 kg is moving at a velocity of 10 m/s. The speed of the soccer ball can be calculated as follows:

p = 0.5 kg * 10 m/s = 5 kg m/s

Visual depiction of motion

0.5 Kg 10 m/s

Understanding Impulsivity

Impulse is a concept closely related to momentum and represents the change in momentum of an object when a force is applied over a certain time. Impulse is also a vector quantity and is obtained by the product of force and the duration of application of force.

Formula of Impulse

J = F * Δt

Where:

  • J is the impulse,
  • F is the applied force,
  • Δt is the time period during which the force is applied.

Another formula related to impulse

J = Δp

This implies that impulse is equal to change in momentum, where Δp is the change in momentum.

Example of Impulse

Suppose a car of mass 1000 kg is initially at rest and accelerates to a velocity of 20 m/s in 5 seconds under a constant force. To find the impulse, we first calculate the change in momentum:

  • Initial momentum, p_initial = 0 (because the car is stationary).
  • Final momentum, p_final = 1000 kg * 20 m/s = 20000 kg·m/s.

The change in momentum is:

Δp = p_final - p_initial = 20000 kg m/s - 0 = 20000 kg m/s

It is also equal to the impulse applied to the car.

Visual depiction of impulse

Force Initial Last

Relation between Momentum and Impulse

The relationship between impulse and momentum is contained in Newton's second law of motion, which is primarily stated in its microscopic form as follows:

F = m * a

This relationship works with the calculus version of this law, where velocity changes as a result of an applied force over time. These changes provide the basis for defining how force changes the momentum of an object through impulse, which changes the momentum of the object.

From force to impulse

When a force is applied to an object for a certain amount of time, this force results in an impulse. Impulse can affect the speed and direction of an object, which naturally affects its momentum. Understanding this relationship is important in fields such as collision analysis in automobile engineering and sports physics.

Conservation of momentum

The law of conservation of momentum describes the momentum of a closed system at rest (i.e., with no external forces acting on it). According to this principle, the total momentum before a collision event must be equal to the total momentum after, provided no external forces intervene during the event.

Example of Conservation of Momentum

Consider two ice skaters pushing each other. If skater A, weighing 50 kg, pushes skater B, weighing 70 kg, both of whom are initially at rest, then the total initial momentum will be zero as given below:

p_initial_A = 0 (the initial velocity of skater A is zero)
p_initial_B = 0 (the initial velocity of skater B is zero)
p_total_initial = p_initial_A + p_initial_B = 0

Suppose that during the push, skater A moves backward at a velocity of 6 m/s. To find the velocity of skater B after the push, we use conservation of momentum:

p_total_initial = p_total_final
0 = (50 kg * -6 m/s) + (70 kg * v_B)
v_B = 4.29 m/s (rounded off to two decimal places)

Visual depiction of conservation of momentum

50 Kg 70 kg

Practical applications and real-life examples

Understanding how momentum and impulse work in the real world is essential not only in academic and scientific fields, but also for practical daily activities and safety measures.

Applications in games

Momentum is important in various sports. Take a basketball player shooting, for example. Accurately calculating the speed before a shot can make the difference between scoring and missing a basket. Similarly, in sports such as cricket, baseball or tennis, players use impulse to control and maximize the speed and direction of the ball.

Automobile safety

Impulse and momentum principles are important in designing automobile safety features. This concept is used to design airbags and crumple zones to increase the time a collision occurs, reducing the force applied to passengers and creating more impulse, which reduces potential injury.

Everyday examples

Even in simple actions such as catching a ball, one applies impulse by moving one's hands backward along with the ball, effectively reducing the force during the momentum transformation.

Example - Basketball

When a player dribbles a basketball, he or she applies a force (impulse) over time to change the ball's motion downward toward the ground. Once the ball hits the ground, the ground applies an impulse, which changes its motion back upward. This fascinating interplay of momentum and impulse is what keeps the ball constantly bouncing.

Conclusion

Momentum and impulse are important concepts not only in understanding the theoretical aspects of physics, but also in practical applications in technology, security, sports, and other fields. Using formulas and visual aids, we gain a clearer understanding of how things move and interact in our universe and enhance our ability to predict and analyze real-world scenarios.


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Momentum and Impulse

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