- #1
Ginny Mac
- 17
- 0
Hey ya'll - I am not getting the kind of answers I need to be getting for this lab assignment!
Let's say that I am analyzing a car collision, and I have initial and final velocities (initial=before collision, final=after collision) and the masses of both cars. To calculate initial and final momentum of the system, do I just need to calculate individual momentum quantities for both cars? For instance, find initial and final P for each, and then use P(system)= m1v1 + m2v2...etc. for the i/f values??
In order to find total momentum, would I subtract final from initial?
(And just to be sure I am on the right page...finding momentum for each car is just mass*velocity...?)
Also...collision impulse is equal to the change in momentum...I take this to mean an absolute value quantity. Am I correct in my reasoning? Thank you so much for your time - any suggestions/advice will help. :)
Ciao,
Gin
Let's say that I am analyzing a car collision, and I have initial and final velocities (initial=before collision, final=after collision) and the masses of both cars. To calculate initial and final momentum of the system, do I just need to calculate individual momentum quantities for both cars? For instance, find initial and final P for each, and then use P(system)= m1v1 + m2v2...etc. for the i/f values??
In order to find total momentum, would I subtract final from initial?
(And just to be sure I am on the right page...finding momentum for each car is just mass*velocity...?)
Also...collision impulse is equal to the change in momentum...I take this to mean an absolute value quantity. Am I correct in my reasoning? Thank you so much for your time - any suggestions/advice will help. :)
Ciao,
Gin