Finding Impulse and Momentum on a Frictionless Surface

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In summary, The conversation is about solving physics problems without using calculus. The first problem involves finding the impulse and change in momentum of a stationary object with a non-constant force. The second problem involves using the ratio of rotational kinetic energies at different times and the velocity squared to find the kinetic energy at a specific time. The person asking for help is struggling with these types of problems and is grateful for any assistance.
  • #1
Tubs
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I can't seem to get past this one, and it should be possible to solve without using integration. Any help would be great :D

A 0.25 kg object is stationary on a frictionless surface. At t = 0, a horizontal force begins to move the object. The force is given by F = (12 - 3t^2) and acts until its magnitude is zero.

a) What is the magnitude of the impulse between t = 0.5 and t = 1.25 s?
b) What is the change in momentum from when the object is stationary to when the magnitude of the force is zero?
 
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  • #2
I really don't see how this one can be solved without calculus. The force is not constant, meaning the acceleration is not constant. None of the elementary kinematics equations will apply. Only the differential form of Newton's 2nd law should be used.
 
  • #3
Force is not constant. You have to integrate.
 
  • #4
Ok, thanks a lot. Another quick one that I am stumped on:

A thin rod rotates around one end. Its angular acceleration is 3/2 radians / second^2 and has a rotational kinetic energy of 1.60 J at t = 4s. What is the kinetic energy at t = 0s?

A graph was given of this question, pretty much modeling a straight line on velocity / time graph. At t = 0 the velocity looks to be about 1.4 if that helps :)
 
  • #5
Use the fact that that the ratio of the rotational kinetic energies at two different times are equal to the ratio of the square of the angular velocities at these times. Then by [itex]v=\omega r[/itex] the r's cancel. So you are left only with the velocities squared, which can be determined with the graph.
 

1. What is momentum?

Momentum is a physical quantity that describes the motion of an object. It is the product of an object's mass and velocity and is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. In simpler terms, momentum is the measure of how difficult it is to stop a moving object.

2. How is momentum calculated?

Momentum is calculated by multiplying an object's mass (m) by its velocity (v). The formula for momentum is p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity. The units for momentum are kilogram-meters per second (kg·m/s).

3. What is the difference between momentum and impulse?

Momentum and impulse are related concepts, but they are not the same thing. Momentum is a measure of an object's motion, while impulse is a measure of the change in an object's momentum. Impulse is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the time it is applied. In other words, impulse is the product of force and the change in time.

4. How does momentum relate to Newton's Laws of Motion?

Momentum is closely related to Newton's Laws of Motion. Newton's First Law states that an object will remain at rest or in motion with a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. The momentum of an object is directly related to its velocity, so an object will continue to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force that changes its momentum. This is consistent with Newton's First Law.

5. Can momentum be conserved?

Yes, momentum is a conserved quantity in a closed system. This means that the total momentum of a system remains constant unless acted upon by an external force. In other words, the momentum before an interaction or collision is equal to the momentum after the interaction or collision. This is known as the Law of Conservation of Momentum.

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