Impulse vs Fnet relation to damage?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on whether a bullet's damage is influenced more by its acceleration or its momentum. It is established that a bullet stops accelerating once it exits the gun, and its damage is primarily due to its momentum at impact. The concept of impulse, defined as the change in momentum, is highlighted, indicating that maximum damage occurs when the bullet reaches its highest velocity before hitting the target. The initial momentum for impulse calculations is clarified as the momentum just before impact, with the final momentum being zero. Ultimately, the consensus is that greater impulse, associated with maximum velocity, results in more damage.
mrneuro
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what does more damage an object w/ a high acceleration or a greater momentum

i was watching one of my favorite tv shows "Justified" and i started to wonder would a bullet moving at a greater acceleration hence greater force (F=ma) inflict more damage or would a bullet w/ a greater velocity, hence momentum (p) and impulse (Δp=Favgt)

im pretty sure the bullet will have the greatest acceleration as it leaves a gun
what about Δp?

and so i guess my question is does impulse generate more damage or is it more Newtonian in that a greater acceleration impacts more damage

obviously m of bullet is same

So i guess my question is F=ma vs Δp (Favgt) which does more damage in terms of a bullet

this has been bothering me for about a week now and i can't seem to convince myself one or the other because I am pretty sure Fnet has an impact on Favg but then i tell myself the max acceleration leads max velocity

HELP
 
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welcome to pf!

hi mrneuro! welcome to pf! :smile:

a bullet stops accelerating as soon as it leaves the gun …

from then on, it's slowing down …

the damage is caused by the momentum, and by the way the bullet deforms
 
thanks!

sorry but one more question would a bullet at maximal velocity say 30 m from the bullet tip cause more damage

or a bullet just exiting the gun?

i guess I am asking what is the reference for p initial for the Δp calculation?
 
mrneuro said:
i guess I am asking what is the reference for p initial for the Δp calculation?

p initial is the momentum immediately before it hits the target (and p final is 0) :smile:
 
tiny-tim said:
p initial is the momentum immediately before it hits the target (and p final is 0) :smile:

Sweet thanks!

so greatest impulse wil be found at max velocity
 

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