NAGA VIEW ADVENTIST COLLEGE

Panicuason, Naga City

LEARNING MODULE
SCIENCE 9
THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF
MOMENTUM

Prepared by: Daff Jeszel R. Duran

NAME:
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What I Need to Know
Infer that the total momentum before and after collision is equal. (S9FE-IVb-37)

Specific Objectives:
1. Describe how momentum is conserved in a colliding system
2. Differentiate Elastic Collision from Inelastic Collision using real-life examples.
3. Relate the effects of collisions in real-life situations.

What I Know
Multiple-Choice: Read the statements carefully. Choose the BEST answer. Write the letter of your
answers on the space provided.

______1.) Which of the following statements describes momentum?

A. It is the product of body’s mass and velocity.

B. It is the product of body’s mass and acceleration.
C. It is the sum of body’s mass and velocity.
D. It is the sum of body’s mass and acceleration
______2.) What is the momentum of the two cars after collision if its momentum before collision is 50
kgm/s?
A. 5 kgm/s C. 30 kgm/s
B. 15 kgm/s D. 50 kgm/s

______ 3.) What type of quantity are momentum and velocity?

A. director C. scalar
B. reactor D. vector

______4.) What is the unit for momentum?

A. kg●m/s B. N●kg C. kg●m/s2 D. N●m/s

_____ 5.) What word can best describe the total momentum in an isolated system?
A. conserved B. large C. lost D. low

______ 6.) What is the unit of velocity?

A. kg B. kg●m/s C. m/s D. all of these

______ 7.) Calculate the momentum of a car, which has a mass of 1000 kg and moves with a velocity of
20 m/s.
 A. 500 kgm/s B. 10, 020 kgm/s C. 20000 kgm/s D. 99 980 kgm/s

______ 8.) The total momentum of two objects before collision is 50 kg. m/s. What will be their total
momentum after collision?
A. 50 kg●m/s B. 175 kg●m/s C. 350 kg●m/s D. not enough information

For nos. 9&10. Two 0.5 kg balls approach each other with the same speed of 1.0 m/s.

______9.) What is the total momentum of the system before collision?

A. 0 B.0.50 kg●m/s C. 1.0 kg●m/s D.-1.0 kg●m/s

______10.) If there is no external force acting on the system, what is the total momentum of the system
after collision?
A. 0 B.0.50 kg●m/s C. 1.0 kg●m/s D.-1.0 kg●m/s

What’s New
According to physics general law, the quantity called momentum that characterizes motion
never changes in an isolated collection of objects; that is, the system's total momentum remains
constant. One of the most powerful laws in physics is the Law of Conservation of Momentum.

The Law of Conservation of Momentum states that:

When two objects in an isolated system collides the total momentum of the objects before the
collision is equal to the total momentum of the objects after the collision. That is the momentum lost
by object 1 is equal to the momentum gained by object 2.

In mathematical form:

𝑝𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 = 𝑝𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑝 = 𝑝 ′ → (𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑠: 𝑝 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑝 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒)

If you have two objects in collision, you can rewrite the equation as:

𝑚1𝑣1 + 𝑚2𝑣2 = 𝑚1𝑣1′ + 𝑚2𝑣2′ (𝑚1 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑚 𝑠𝑢𝑏 1)

Where:

m1= is the mass of object 1 v1′= is the velocity of object 1

m2= is the mass of object 2 v2′ = is the velocity of object 2
 v1 = is the initial velocity of object 1
v2 = is the initial velocity of object 2
Note: Prime symbol (′) denotes that these are the velocities after the collision.

To understand conservation of momentum we will

examine a collision of two objects. A collision is an interaction
between two objects resulting in the exchange of impulse and
momentum. Look at the given picture, two ball having masses
m1 and m2 and velocities v1 and v2 collide.

Newton’s Third law of motion said that if an object

exerts a force on the other, the other object also exerts force
towards it with equal magnitude. During collision, the two balls
gain the same momentum but in opposite direction. Since the
balls have different masses, they will accelerate differently
from Newton’s second law of motion. If there is no external
force acting on the system; momentum of the system is
conserved.

The two types of collision are:

1. Elastic Collision
An elastic collision is a collision in which there is no net loss in kinetic energy in the
system due to the collision. Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved in an
elastic collision.

𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑚1𝑣1 + 𝑚2𝑣2 = 𝑚1𝑣1′ + 𝑚2𝑣2′

The collision of billiard

balls is nearly elastic
because the kinetic
energy is conserved
before and after the
collision.

Elastic Collision Examples

 When a ball at a billiard table hits another ball, it is an example of elastic collision.
  When you throw a ball on the ground and it bounces back to your hand, there is no net
change in the kinetic energy, and hence, it is an elastic collision.

2. Inelastic Collision
An inelastic collision is such a type of collision that takes place between two objects in
which some energy is lost. In the case of inelastic collision, momentum is conserved but
the kinetic energy is not conserved. Most of the collisions in daily life are inelastic in
nature.

𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛: 𝑚1𝑣1 + 𝑚2𝑣2 = (𝑚1 + 𝑚2)𝑣′

The above schematic diagram illustrates a perfectly inelastic collision.

Real World Examples of Inelastic Collision

 The ball is dropped from a certain height and it is unable to rise to its original height.
 When a soft mudball is thrown against the wall, it will stick to the wall.
 The accident of two vehicles
 A car hitting a tree

Sample Problem

A car with a 1000 kg mass moving at a velocity of 5 m/s to the left collides with a car with the
same mass moving at 10 m/s to the right. What is the velocity of the second car if the velocity
of the first car after the collision is 2 m/s to the right?

Solution:

Step 1: Identify what is asked in the problem. You are asked to determine the velocity of the
second car after the collision.
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem

m1=1000kg m2=1000kg v1′=2m/s

v1=-5m/s v2=10m/s

Step 3: Use the equation to solve for the unknown.

p(before)=p(after)

m1v1+m2v2 = m1v1′+m2v2′ ; find v2′=?

(1,000kg) (-5m/s) +(1,000kg) (10m/s) = (1,000kg) (2m/s) + (1,000kg) v2′

-5,000kgm/s+ 10,000kgm/s = 2,000 kg m/s + (1,000 kg) v2′

5, 000 kg m/s - 2,000 kg m/s = (1, 000 kg) v2′

3, 000 kg m/s = (1, 000 kg) v2′

v2′ = 3, 000 kg m/s÷ 1, 000 kg

Step 4: Get the answer.

v2′ = 3 m/s

What’s More
ACTIVITY 1: CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM (OPTIONAL)
I. OBJECTIVE: Describe how a marble works and how conservation of momentum explains the
motion of marbles.
II. MATERIALS NEEDED:
● marbles (at least 15 pieces) ● meter sticks (2)
III. PROCEDURE:
1. Setup the experiment as shown in Figure 1 below. You can use more than 8 marbles on your
setup.
 Figure 1. Marbles of the same size and mass arranged in an improvised plane

(Illustrated by: Mary Joy B. Obregon)

2. Arrange the marbles close to each other so as no space should be between them.
3. Get another piece of marble and strike it at one end of the arranged marbles. Observe what
will happen.
Q1. What have you observed?

4. Do step 3 using additional 2 marbles.

Q2. What happen to the setup?

Q3. If you are going to use 5 marbles, what do you think will happen?

Q4. How are you going to explain the law of conservation of momentum based from
the experiment you just performed?

ACTIVITY 2: UNRAVEL ME!

Directions: Analyze the doodle momentum and make 3 sentences out of your ideas or
understanding on it.

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ACTIVITY 3: BALLOON ROCKET
Directions: Do the activity at home then answer the guided questions.
Objectives: ● Describe how a balloon rocket works and how conservation of momentum
explains rocket motion.
Materials Needed:
● Balloon (long shape) ● Pinch of powder (face powder or flour)
● Paper clip ● String/nylon (at least 2cm)
● Straw ● Tape
Procedure:
1. Insert the string into the straw before stretching it over two posts. You can use chairs or iron
stands as posts. Make sure that the string is taut.
2. Put a pinch of starch inside the balloon before inflating it. Twist the opened end and
temporarily secure it with a paperclip. 3. Tape the straw to the balloon such it is aligned with
the balloon’s opening (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Balloon Rocket

4. Position the balloon at the middle of the string.

5. Release the air from the balloon by removing the paper clip and observe carefully.
6. Draw a diagram showing the momentum vectors of your balloon rocket and the air.
Guide Questions:
 1. What can you say about the initial momentum of the system before releasing the air from
the balloon?
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2. What did you observe after releasing the air from the balloon?
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3. What is the direction of the balloon compared to the direction of air coming out from the
balloon?
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4. How do their momenta compare after releasing the air?
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5. From your answer in Q4, how does the velocity of the air that is pushed out of the rocket
compared to the velocity of the balloon rocket?
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ACTIVITY 4: WHERE DO I BELONG?

Directions: Identify whether the following illustrations are examples of elastic or inelastic
collision. Put EC inside the boxes if it’s an example of elastic collision and IC if it’s inelastic
collision.
3.
2.
1.

4.
ACTIVITY 5: WHY, OH WHY?
Directions: Analyze the illustration given below then answer the question given.

When fighting fires, a firefighter must use great caution to hold a hose that emits large
amounts of water at high speeds. Why would such a task be difficult?
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What I Can Do
Think Physics!!!
Suppose two cars collide with each other. How can you minimize the danger to the passengers
of the colliding cars? State your reason by using what you have learned in the conservation of
momentum.