Integrating the Dots – Principle of Conservation of Momentum

Collisions are taking place all around us, all the time. They take place on the microscopic scale of atoms and electrons (e.g. electrons that form an electric current collide with vibrating ions in metal wire), in our everyday world (e.g. a rugby player runs into an opponent) and in outer space (e.g. an asteroid collides with a planet as it orbits the Sun).

Using the Principle of Conservation of Momentum, we could predict how the objects move after colliding with each other.

What is momentum?

momentum = mass x velocity

Principle of Conservation of Momentum

The total momentum of a system is constant provided no net external force acts on it.

Another way to express the principle,

Total momentum of objects before collision = Total momentum of objects after collision

Here’s an application example –

IntegrateDots

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