CHAPTER-15

KINETICS OF A PARTICLE:
Impulse & Momentum

Book:
▪ Engineering Mechanics Dynamics, R. C. Hibbeler, 14th Ed
 KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: IMPULSE & MOMENTUM

• Principle of Linear Impulse & Momentum

• Conservation of Linear Momentum for A System of Particles

• Impact
– Central Impact

– Oblique Impact
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM
• The equation of motion for a particle of mass m can be written as:

∑ F = ma = m (dv/dt) ------------------------------(1)

• Rearranging the terms and integrating between limits v = v1 at t = t1 and v = v2 at t = t2 we have:

t2 v2

  F .dt = m  dv
t1 v1
or t2

  F .dt = mv 2 − mv1 ----------------------------(2)

t1

• This equation is referred to as the principle of linear impulse and momentum.

• It provides a direct means of obtaining the particle’s final velocity v2 after a specified time period when the particle’s
initial velocity is known and the forces acting on the particle are either constant or can be expressed as function of time.
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM
t2

  F .dt = mv 2 − mv1 ----------------------------(2)

t1
Linear Momentum
• Each of the two vectors of the form L = mv in equation (2) is defined as the linear momentum of the particle.
• Since m is a positive scalar, the linear momentum vector has the same direction as v, and its magnitude mv
has units of mass-velocity, e.g. kg-m/s

Linear Impulse
• The integral I = ∫F.dt in equation (2) is defined as linear impulse.
• It is a vector quantity which measures the effect of a force during the time the force acts.
• Since time is a positive scalar quantity, the impulse vector acts in the same direction as the force, and its
magnitude has units of force-time, e.g. N-s.
• If the force is expressed as a function of time, the impulse may be determined by the direct evaluation of the
integral.
• However, if the force is constant in magnitude and direction, the resulting impulse becomes I = Fc (t2 – t1)
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM
• For problem solving, equation (2) can be written as:
t2
mv1 +   F .dt = mv 2 ------------------(3)
t1

• It states that the initial momentum of the particle at t1 plus the vector sum of all the impulses applied to the
particle during the time interval t1 to t2 is equivalent to the final momentum of the particle at t2.
• These three terms are illustrated graphically on the impulse & momentum diagrams shown below:
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM
Scalar Equations

• If each of these vectors in equation (3) is resolved into its x, y and z components, we can write symbolically
the following three scalar equations:

• These equations represent the principle of linear impulse and momentum for the particle in the x, y and z
directions respectively
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM FOR A
SYSTEM OF PARTICLES

• For a system of particles, the principle of linear impulse and momentum can be written as:
t2

 m (v ) +   F .dt =  m (v )
i i 1 i i i 2
t1

• This equation states that the initial linear momenta of the system plus the impulses of all
the external forces acting on the system during the time period t1 to t2 are equal to the
system’s final linear momenta.
 PRINCIPLE OF LINEAR IMPULSE & MOMENTUM
Examples:
15.1, 15.2, 15.3

Fundamental Problems:
F15.1, F15.2, F15.6

Practice Problems:
15.1, 15.5, 15.10, 15.17, 15.20, 15-34
EXAMPLE 15-1
The 100kg stone is originally at rest on the smooth horizontal surface. If a towing force of
200N, acting at an angle of 45º, is applied to the stone for 10s, determine the final velocity
and the normal force which the surface exerts on the stone during the time interval.
EXAMPLE 15-2
The 50lb crate shown is acted upon by a force having a variable magnitude P=(20t) lb, where t
is in seconds. Determine the crate’s velocity 2s after P has been applied. The initial velocity is
v1=3 ft/s down the plane, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the plane
is 0.3
PROBLEM 15-1
A man kicks the 150-g ball such that it leaves the ground at an angle of 60° and strikes the
ground at the same elevation a distance of 12 m away. Determine the impulse of his foot on
the ball at A. Neglect the impulse caused by the ball’s weight while it’s being kicked.
PROBLEM 15-34
The 0.15-kg baseball has a speed of v1 = 30 m/s just before it is struck by the bat. It then travels
along the trajectory shown before the outfielder catches it. Determine the magnitude of the
average impulsive force imparted to the ball if it is in contact with the bat for 0.75 ms.
 KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: IMPULSE & MOMENTUM

• Principle of Linear Impulse & Momentum

• Conservation of Linear Momentum for A System of Particles

• Impact
– Central Impact

– Oblique Impact
CONSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM FOR A SYSTEM
OF PARTICLES
• When the sum of the external impulses acting on a system of particles is zero, the above
equation reduces to:

m i (v i ) 1 =  m i (v i ) 2

• This equation is referred to as the conservation of linear momentum. It states that the
vector sum of linear momenta for a system of particles remains constant throughout the
time period t1 to t2.
CONSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM FOR A SYSTEM
OF PARTICLES
• The conservation of linear momentum is often applied when particles collide or interact
• For application, a free body diagram for the entire system should be made
• By doing this, one will be able to identify the forces as creating either external or internal
impulses and thereby determine in what direction linear momentum is conserved
• The internal impulses for the system will always cancel out, since they occur in equal but
opposite collinear pairs
• If the time period over which the motion is studied is very short, some of the external
impulses may also be neglected or considered approximately equal to zero
• Forces causing these negligible impulses are called non-impulsive forces
• By comparison, forces which are very large, act for a very short period of time, and yet
produce a significant change in momentum are called impulsive forces, and they cannot be
neglected in the impulse and momentum analysis
CONSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM FOR A SYSTEM
OF PARTICLES
• Impulsive forces normally occur due to an explosion or the striking of one body against another,
whereas non-impulsive forces may include the weight of a body, the force imparted by a slightly
deformed spring having a relatively small stiffness, or for that matter, any force that is very small
compared to other larger (impulsive) forces
• When making this definition between impulsive and non-impulsive forces, it is important to realize
that it only applies during a specific time period
• For example, consider the effect of striking a baseball with a bat. During the very short time of
interaction, the force of the bat on the ball is impulsive since it changes the ball’s momentum
drastically. By comparison, the ball’s weight will have a negligible effect on the change in
momentum, and therefore it is non-impulsive. Therefore, it can be neglected from an impulse-
momentum analysis during this time period
• However, if the impulse-momentum analysis is considered during the much longer time of flight
after the ball-bat interaction, then the impulse of the ball’s weight is important since it, along with
air resistance, causes the change in the momentum of the ball
CONSERVATION OF LINEAR MOMENTUM FOR A SYSTEM
OF PARTICLES
Examples:
15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.7

Fundamental Problems:
F15.7, F15.8, F15.11

Practice Problems:
15.39, 15.41, 15.43, 15.46, 15.53, 15-57
EXAMPLE 15-4
The 15-Mg boxcar A is coasting at 1.5 m/s on the horizontal track when it encounters a 12-Mg
tank car B coasting at 0.75 m/s toward it. If the cars collide and couple together, determine (a)
the speed of both cars just after the coupling, and (b) the average force between them if the
coupling takes place in 0.8 s.
EXAMPLE 15-7
An 800 kg rigid pile P is driven into the ground using a 300 kg hammer. The hammer falls from
rest at a height y0=0.5m and strikes the top of the pile. Determine the impulse which the
hammer imparts on the pile if the pile is surrounded entirely by loose sand so that after striking,
the hammer does not rebound off the pile.
PROBLEM 15-39
A ballistic pendulum consists of a 4-kg wooden block originally at rest, θ = 0°. When a 2-g
bullet strikes and becomes embedded in it, it is observed that the block swings upward to a
maximum angle of θ = 6°. Estimate the speed of the bullet.
PROBLEM 15-43
The 20-g bullet is traveling at 400 m/s when it becomes embedded in the 2-kg stationary block.
Determine the distance the block will slide before it stops. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the block and the plane is µk = 0.2
PROBLEM 15-57
The 10-kg block is held at rest on the smooth inclined plane by the stop block at A. If the 10-g
bullet is traveling at 300 m/s when it becomes embedded in the 10-kg block, determine the
distance the block will slide up along the plane before momentarily stopping.
 KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: IMPULSE & MOMENTUM

• Principle of Linear Impulse & Momentum

• Conservation of Linear Momentum for A System of Particles

• Impact
– Central Impact

– Oblique Impact
 IMPACT
• Impact occurs when two bodies collide with each other during a very short interval of time,
causing relatively large impulsive forces to be exerted between the bodies

• The striking of hammer and nail, or a golf club and ball are common examples of impact
loading

• There are two types of impact, central impact and oblique impact
 IMPACT
• Central impact occurs when the direction of motion of the mass centers of the two colliding
particles is along a line passing through the mass centers of the particles. This line is called
the line of impact
• When the motion of one or both the particles is at an angle with the line of impact, the
impact is said to be oblique impact.
 CENTRAL IMPACT
• Consider the case involving central impact of two
smooth particles A and B

• The particles have the initial momenta shown in

figure. Provided (vA)1 >(vB)1, collision will
eventually occur

• During the collision the material of the particles

must be thought of as deformable or non-rigid.
The particles will undergo a period of
deformation such that they exert an equal and
opposite deformation impulse ʃP.dt on each other
 CENTRAL IMPACT
• Only at the instant of maximum deformation will
both particles move with a common velocity v

• After a period of restitution occurs, in which case

the material from which the particles are made will
either return to its original shape or remained
permanently deformed. The equal but opposite
restitution impulse ʃR.dt pushes the particles apart
from one another.

• Just after separation the particles will have the

final moment as shown, where (vB)2 > (vA)2
 CENTRAL IMPACT
• In most problems the initial velocities of the particles will be known and it will be necessary to
determine their final velocities.
• In this regard, momentum for the system of particles is conserved since during collision the internal
impulses of deformation and restitution cancel. Hence:
mA (vA)1 + mB (vB)1 = mA (vA)2 + mB (vB)2

• In order to obtain a second equation, necessary to solve for (vA)2 and (vB)2 we must apply the
principle of impulse and momentum to each particle.

• For example, during the deformation phase for particle A, we have:

mA (vA)1 - ʃP. dt = mA v

• For the restitution phase,

mA v - ʃR. dt = mA (vA)2
 CENTRAL IMPACT
• The ratio of the restitution impulse to the deformation impulse is called the coefficient of
restitution, e. From the above equations, this value for particle A is:

e=
 R.dt v − (v )
= A 2

 P.dt (v ) − v
A 1

• In a similar manner, e can be established by considering particle B, i.e.

e=
 R.dt (v ) − v
= B 2

 P.dt v − (v ) B 1

• If the unknown v is eliminated from the above two equations, the coefficient of restitution
can be expressed in terms of the particles’ initial and final velocities as:
(v B ) 2 − (v A ) 2
e=
(v A ) 1 − ( v B ) 1
 CENTRAL IMPACT
(v B ) 2 − (v A ) 2
e=
(v A ) 1 − ( v B ) 1

• So, from the above equation, the coefficient of restitution is equal to the ratio of the relative
velocity of the particles’ separation just after impact, to the relative velocity of the
particles’ approach just before impact. In general, e has a value between zero and one.

• Elastic Impact (e=1): If the collision between the two particles is perfectly elastic, the
deformation impulse (ʃP.dt) is equal and opposite to the restitution impulse (ʃR.dt) and
therefore e=1 for elastic collisions.

• Plastic Impact (e=0): The impact is said to be inelastic or plastic when e=0. In this case
there is no restitution impulse given to the particles (ʃR.dt=0) , so that after collision both
particles couple or stick together and move with a common velocity.
 CENTRAL IMPACT
Procedure For Analysis (Central Impact):
• In most cases final velocities of two smooth particles are to be determined just after they are
subjected to direct central impact.
• Provided the coefficient of restitution, the mass of each particle, and each particles’ initial velocity
just before impact are known, the solution to the problem can be obtained using the following two
equations:
1. The conservation of momentum applies to the system of particles, ∑mv1 = ∑mv2
2. The coefficient of restitution e relates the relative velocities of the particles along the line of
impact, just before and just after the collision. i.e.
(v B ) 2 − (v A ) 2
e=
(v A ) 1 − ( v B ) 1
3. When applying these two equations, the sense of an unknown velocity can be assumed. If the
solution yields a negative magnitude, the velocity acts in the opposite sense
EXAMPLE 15-9
The bag A, having a weight of 6 lb, is released from rest at the position θ=0º, as shown in the
figure. After falling to θ=90º, it strikes an 18 lb box B. If the coefficient of restitution between
the bag and the box is e=0.5, determine the velocities of the bag and the box just after the
impact and the loss of energy during the collision.
EXAMPLE 15-10
Ball B shown in Fig a has a mass of 1.5 kg and is suspended from the ceiling by a 1m- long
elastic cord. If the cord is stretched downward 0.25 m and the ball is released from rest,
determine how far the cord stretches after the ball rebounds from the ceiling. The stiffness of
the cord is k = 800 N/m, and the coefficient of restitution between the ball and ceiling is e = 0.8
The ball makes a central impact with the ceiling.
PROBLEM 15-61
The 15-kg block A slides on the surface for which μk = 0.3. The block has a velocity v = 10
m/s when it is s = 4 m from the 10-kg block B. If the unstretched spring has a stiffness k =
1000 N/m, determine the maximum compression of the spring due to the collision. Take e =
0.6
 OBLIQUE IMPACT
• When oblique impact occurs between two smooth particles, the particles move away from
each other with velocities having unknown directions as well as unknown magnitudes.

• Provided the initial velocities are known, four unknown are present in the problem. They
are: (vA)2, (vB)2, θ2, and Φ2
 OBLIQUE IMPACT
Procedure For Analysis (Oblique Impact):
• If the y-axis is established within the plane of contact and the x-axis along the line of impact, the
impulsive forces of deformation and restitution act only in the x-direction. Resolving the velocity or
momentum vectors into components along the x and y axes, it is possible to write four independent
scalar equations in order to determine (vAx)2, (vAy)2, (vBx)2 and (vBy)2
1. Momentum of the system is conserved along the line of impact, x-axis, so that ∑m(vx)1 =
∑m(vx)2
2. The coefficient of restitution, relates the relative velocity components of the particles along the
line of impact
(v Bx ) 2 − (v Ax ) 2
e=
(v Ax )1 − (v Bx )1
3. Momentum of particle A is conserved along the y-axis, perpendicular to the line of impact,
since no impulse acts on particle A in this direction
4. Momentum of particle B is conserved along the y-axis, perpendicular to the line of impact,
since no impulse acts on particle B in this direction
 IMPACT
Examples:
15.9, 15.10, 15.11

Fundamental Problems
F15.13, F15.15, F15.16

Practice Problems:
15.61, 15.67, 15.68, 15.75, 15.81, 15.82
EXAMPLE 15-11
Two smooth disks A and B, having a mass of 1 kg and 2 kg respectively, collide with the
velocities shown in the figure. If the coefficient of restitution for the disks is e=0.75, determine
the x and y components of the final velocity of each disk just after the collision.
PROBLEM 15-81
The girl throws the 0.5-kg ball toward the wall with an initial velocity 10 m/s. Determine:
(a) the velocity at which it strikes the wall at B,
(b) the velocity at which it rebounds from the wall if the coefficient of restitution e = 0.5, and
(c) the distance s from the wall to where it strikes the ground at C.