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Hannah7h
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What is the momentum of a ball at the exact point where it comes into contact with a wall?
FactChecker said:Assume that the ball is so uniform that there is an instant of time when all particles of the ball have come to a zero velocity, fully compressed, and about to rebound. At that instant the momentum is 0.
Momentum conservation refers to the principle that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant over time, despite any internal or external forces acting on the system. In other words, the total momentum before and after an interaction or collision between objects will be the same.
In a ball and wall impact, the ball exerts a force on the wall and the wall exerts an equal and opposite force on the ball, causing the ball to bounce back. The total momentum of the system (ball and wall) before the impact is equal to the total momentum after the impact, as long as there are no external forces acting on the system.
The mass and velocity of the ball and wall are the main factors that affect momentum conservation in a ball and wall impact. The greater the mass and velocity of the ball, the greater the momentum it has, and the more force it will exert on the wall, causing a larger change in the momentum of the wall.
In an elastic collision, the total kinetic energy of the objects before and after the collision remains the same, while in an inelastic collision, some of the kinetic energy is converted into other forms of energy. In both types of collisions, momentum is conserved, but the change in momentum may be different depending on the type of collision.
Momentum conservation in ball and wall impacts is seen in many sports, such as tennis, basketball, and baseball. It is also important in car safety, as the momentum of a car in a collision can greatly affect the force and damage caused. In addition, understanding momentum conservation can help in designing efficient and safe transportation systems.