Summary
Linear momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and it is symbolized by
p. Use the formula p = mv.
Impulse is the product of the average force and the time during which it acts.
This force occurs only briefly and equals the object’s change in momentum.
Conservation of linear momentum states that when two objects interact in an
isolated system, the total linear momentum of the system will remain constant.
Collisions of objects are classified as elastic or inelastic. Elastic collisions
conserve kinetic energy. After an inelastic collision, the total kinetic energy is
different from what it was before the collision.
A perfectly inelastic collision is where the objects stick and move together.
