Momentum and Collisions Module

This Momentum and Collisions module consists of 10 missions (assignments) that address such topics as momentum, impulse, impulse-momentum change theorem, action-reaction forces in a collision, momentum transfer in a collision, and momentum conservation in a collision. The 10 missions and the corresponding objectives are listed below.  Tap a mission's name to begin.
 

Quick Links to Missions:

 

Mission Objectives:

Mission MC1: Momentum

• The student should be able to recognize the definition of momentum, the units of momentum and the vector nature of momentum.
• The student should be able to identify the mathematical quantities which effect the momentum and be able to calculate momentum from mass and velocity.

 

Mission MC2: Impulse and Momentum Change

• The student should be able to define impulse, indicate its units and relate its significance to a collision.
• The student should be able to calculate the impulse and relate its value to the momentum change in a collision.

 
 

Mission MC3: Impulse-Momentum Change Variables

• The student should be able to identify the effect (or non-effect) of alterations in the time and the force upon other collision variables (such as velocity change, momentum change, and impulse).
• The student should be able to identify the effect (or non-effect) of alterations in the mass and the velocity change upon other collision variables (such as force, momentum change, and impulse).

 
 

Mission MC4: Force, Impulse, and Momentum Change

• The student should be able to extend the law of action-reaction in order to compare the collision forces, impulses and the momentum changes of two colliding objects.
• The student should be able to explain the meaning of the law of momentum conservation and to describe when the law does and does not apply to a collision.

 
 

Mission MC5: Momentum Conservation

• The student should be able to determine a momentum change and a total system momentum and to state what momentum conservation means.
• The student should be able to use momentum conservation to determine the final momentum or the initial momentum of an object involved in a collision.

 
 

Mission MC6: Explosion-Like Impulses

• The student should be able to analyze explosions using Newton's third law and momentum change and impulse principles, being able to predict the relative force, acceleration, impulse, and momentum changes of the interacting objects.
• The student should be able to use momentum conservation principles to predict the post-explosion velocity of an object.

 
 

Mission MC7: Momentum Conservation Analysis

• The student should be able to compute before- and after-collision momentum values for a system of objects and determine if momentum is conserved.

 
 

Mission MC8: "Hit and Stick" Problem-Solving

• The student should be able to utilize the principle of momentum conservation to solve collision problems for an unknown pre- or post-collision velocity.

 
 

Mission MC9: Elastic Collisions Problem Solving

• The student should be able to utilize the principle of momentum conservation to solve collision problems for an unknown pre- or post-collision velocity.

 

Mission MC10: Momentum and Proportional Reasoning

• The student should be able to use the conservation of momentum principle to predict the effect of an increase in mass upon the final velocity of an object.

 
 

 

​
​
​
​