Momentum Definition and 1000 Threads

In Newtonian mechanics, linear momentum, translational momentum, or simply momentum (pl. momenta) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If m is an object's mass and v is its velocity (also a vector quantity), then the object's momentum is





p

=
m

v

.


{\displaystyle \mathbf {p} =m\mathbf {v} .}
In SI units, momentum is measured in kilogram meters per second (kg⋅m/s).
Newton's second law of motion states that the rate of change of a body's momentum is equal to the net force acting on it. Momentum depends on the frame of reference, but in any inertial frame it is a conserved quantity, meaning that if a closed system is not affected by external forces, its total linear momentum does not change. Momentum is also conserved in special relativity (with a modified formula) and, in a modified form, in electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and general relativity. It is an expression of one of the fundamental symmetries of space and time: translational symmetry.
Advanced formulations of classical mechanics, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, allow one to choose coordinate systems that incorporate symmetries and constraints. In these systems the conserved quantity is generalized momentum, and in general this is different from the kinetic momentum defined above. The concept of generalized momentum is carried over into quantum mechanics, where it becomes an operator on a wave function. The momentum and position operators are related by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
In continuous systems such as electromagnetic fields, fluid dynamics and deformable bodies, a momentum density can be defined, and a continuum version of the conservation of momentum leads to equations such as the Navier–Stokes equations for fluids or the Cauchy momentum equation for deformable solids or fluids.

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. Rikudo

    I Total angular momentum of a translating and rotating pancake

    I have read Classical Mechanics book by David Morin, and there are some parts that I do not understand from its derivation. Note : ## V## and ##v## is respectively the velocity of CM and a particle of the body relative to the fixed origin , while ##v'## is velocity of the particle relative to...
  2. A

    I Momentum in electromagnetic waves

    Hi all! These days I am brushing up my knowledge on EM Waves. I begin with the introductory level but I don't mind to engage in an advanced treatment of the topic. At the very basic level I had a high school book, the mentions straightway that if the wave carries with it an energy U, it posses...
  3. M

    B Could Spontaneous symmetry breaking cause momentum change in an atom?

    If you were to fire a single atom from a fixed point into a chamber of perfect vacuum and measure where it collides with the opposite wall. Could Spontaneous symmetry breaking in the sub atomic particles cause momentum change in the atom, changing the part of the wall the atom interacted with?
  4. Svend

    A How to derive the Momentum and Energy Operators from first principles?

    So we all know that the form of the momentum operator is: iħd/dx. And for energy it is iħd/dt. But how do we derive these operators? The only derivations of the i have seen is where the schrødinger equation was used, but that makes the logic circular, because the Schrødinger-Equation is derived...
  5. F

    I Determining Momentum from Wavefunction

    The goal I am trying to achieve is to determine the momentum (2D) in a quantum system from the wavefunction values and the eigenergies. How would I go about this in a general manner? Any pointers to resources would be helpfull.
  6. jackiepollock

    I Exploring the Advantages of Using Momentum Over Velocity in Particle Physics

  7. A

    I Time derivative of the angular momentum as a cross product

    I am trying to find the equations of motion of the angular momentum ##\boldsymbol L## for a system consisting of a particle of mass ##m## and magnetic moment ##\boldsymbol{\mu} \equiv \gamma \boldsymbol{L}## in a magnetic field ##\boldsymbol B##. The Hamiltonian of the system is therefore...
  8. M

    I Derivation of an angular momentum expression

    Hello! I found this formula in several places for the total angular momentum of a particle with intrinsic spin 1/2 and angular momentum l=1 in the non-relativistic limit: $$\frac{1}{\sqrt{4 \pi}}(-\sigma r /r )\chi$$ where ##\sigma## are the Pauli matrices and ##\chi## is the spinor. Can someone...
  9. Paige_Turner

    B Need a bet settled about classical momentum

    Consider a car slamming into an unyielding wall at 60 mph. Objects in the car will be slammed against the dashboard with a certain amount of force. Now, instead of slamming into a stationary wall, you slam into another car coming towards you at 60 mph. Relative speed, 120MPH. QUESTION: Will...
  10. stevendaryl

    I A short derivation of the relativistic forms of energy and momentum

    I've been noodling around with derivations of the relativistic energy and momentum, and I almost got it down to just a few lines. But not quite. I'm going to work in one spatial dimension, for simplicity (even though some derivations require a second spatial dimension) Let's assume that there...
  11. F

    Time evolution of a particle in momentum space

    Since it asks for the time evolution of the wavefunction in the momentum space, I write : ##\tilde{\Psi}(k,t) = < p|U(t,t_{0})|\Psi> = < U^\dagger(t,t_{0})p|\Psi>## Since ##U(t,t_{0})^\dagger = e^{\frac{i}{\hbar}\frac{\hat{p^2}t}{2m}}##, the above equation becomes ##\tilde{\Psi}(k,t) =...
  12. A.T.

    B Falling Cat - Rotation with Zero Total Angular Momentum

    I made a new version of the falling cat video, with narration. It explains how cats turn around while having zero net angular momentum during the fall:
  13. K

    I Rotation about two axes and angular momentum

    I've a body having initial angular velocity at ## t=0 ## as shown. The axis shown are fixed in inertial space and initially match with the principal axis. I want to find the infinitesimal change at ##t+\Delta t## in the angular momentum along the ##z## axis. I've seen the following approach...
  14. Wannabe Physicist

    Lagrangian Problem (Find Relation between Amplitude and Momentum)

    The given lagrangian doesn't seem to correspond to any of the basic systems (like simple/ coupled harmonic oscillators, etc). So I calculated the momentum ##p## which is the partial derivative of ##L## with respect to generalized velocity ##\dot{q}##. Doing so I obtain $$p =...
  15. K

    I How Does the Book's Formula for Angular Momentum Differ from Mine?

    A disc initially has angular velocities as shown It's angular momentum along the y-axis initially is ##L_s## I tried to find its angular momentum and ended up with this:##L=I_{x} \omega_{x}+I_{y} w_{y}+I_{z} z_{z}##The z component of angular momentum is thus ##L_{z}=I_{z} \omega_{z}## However...
  16. S

    MHB Momentum of Falling Ball X & Ball Y: A Physics Puzzle

    Ball X has mass 0.03kg. It falls vertically from rest from a window that is 30 m above the ground. Ball Y has mass 0.01kg. At the same time that Ball X starts to fall, Ball Y is projected vertically upwards from ground level directly towards Ball X. The initial speed of Ball Y is 20 m/s...
  17. G

    Determining v from momentum / impulse

    Answer is (a) I thought it would be (b) due to conservation of momentum - so final momentum of the hockey stick is equal to the initial momentum of the ball. I assume this isn't correct because there are other external forces acting (air resistance?) Is that sound?
  18. S

    MHB Momentum Change in Hockey Ball: Mass 0.2kg, Speed 8m/s to 5m/s

    A hockey ball of mass 0.2kg is hit so that its initial speed is 8 m/s. The ball travels in a horizontal straight line with acceleration given by a= - 0.5- kt where t is the time in seconds measured from when the ball was hit. After 2s the ball has traveled 41/3 m. It is then intercepted by a...
  19. B

    I How can there be an Uncertain Momentum at a Specific Energy?

    It's been a few years since I failed my physics degree but I still really want to reach an understanding of QM, and I'm currently going through a QM textbook. One thing I cannot understand no matter how much I think about it, is momentum uncertainty. In classical mechanics a specific kinetic...
  20. e2m2a

    B Virtual Particles Momentum Transfer

    My understanding is that virtual particles don't really exist. However, they somehow come into existence under certain circumstances. For example, in the Casimir Effect the virtual particles on the outside of the plate now have the capacity to transfer momentum and kinetic energy to the...
  21. S

    Hurricane forces — Comparing the force from a 60 mph wind to a 120 mph wind

    The marker wrote that the answer is 4 and it's because m and v double. I don't understand how m doubles??
  22. M

    Momentum in different referance frames

    I aready got the solution for this exercise. However, the solution used the referance frame from the car: What I'm trying to understand is the line: Because before reading the solution, I was trying to solve it using the lab frame. So this is my work so far: Using conservation of momentum and...
  23. P

    I What is the meaning of superposition of momentum in coherent states?

    Good night. I have a doubt, what is the meaning of the coherent states superposition of momentum? In a many of places, sites I see an explanation for the equations but I never see the explanation between diffences of the superposition of position from momentum.
  24. T

    Is the Physics in the Avengers' Shield Collision Scene Accurate?

    Hi everyone, In my physics class, we are doing the Hollywood Physics Project. It's a project where you analyze the physics from a scene in a movie and talk about if it's accurate or not. I chose the scene from the Avengers where Thor strikes Captain America's shield with his hammer. The...
  25. H

    B Is the Momentum Operator Hermitian? A Proof

    Momentum operator is ##p=-i\frac{d}{dx}## and its adjoint is ##p^\dagger=i\frac{d}{dx}##. So, ##p^\dagger=-p##. How is the momentum Hermitian?
  26. Uchida

    Conservation of Linear Momentum of Rigid Body

    I solved it by two methods: ----------------------------------------------------- First, by conservation of linear momentum, using the vector velocities of each particle: In the imminence of the impact, the velocity of all the three particles are the same, \vec v_0 = - \sqrt{2gh} \hat j...
  27. F

    Momentum of a ball bouncing off of the floor

    ##m=.3 kg, v = 11 \frac {m}{s}, t = .25 s, \vec v_1 = mv\langle cos(-55), sin(-55) \rangle, \vec v_2 = mv\langle cos(25), sin(25) \rangle## $$m\vec v_1 - m\vec v_2 = \vec Ft = mv\langle cos(25)-cos(-55), sin(25)-sin(-55) \rangle$$ $$Ft = mv\sqrt{(cos(25)-cos(-55))^2 + (sin(25)-sin(-55))^2}$$ $$F...
  28. greg_rack

    B How to relate relativistic kinetic energy and momentum

    Hi guys, a special relativity problem requested to choose the right graph representing relativistic momentum ##p## as a function of rel. kinetic energy ##K##, from these four: At first, I tried writing ##p## as a function of ##K##, in order to then analyze the function's graph and see if it...
  29. Homestar1

    B Electron angular momentum, gyroscope?

    Any spinning item, proton, electron, even planet, has angular momentum that creates force. How can an electron exist in a random orbital cloud around a spinning proton if it has an angular momentum and requires force to alter from any circular orbital plane (like a planet orbiting a star)?
  30. LCSphysicist

    How to perform a integral in momentum space

    I am not sure how does the integral was did here. More preciselly, How to go from the first line to the second line? Shouldn't it be $$\frac{4 \pi}{(2 \pi)^3} \int _{0} ^{\infty} p^2 e^{ip*r}/(2 E_p)$$ ? (x-y is purelly spatial)
  31. TheGreatDeadOne

    Conservation of momentum in an oblique launch and projectile explosion

    This problem I already solved using another resource (just get the coordinate of the center of mass reach and from it, get to the larger mass. R = (3v02) / (4g)). But I'm having some trouble calculating using moment conservation. Here what I've done so far: $$ 3\vec v_0 = \vec v_1 +2\vec v_2 $$...
  32. J

    Jumping from a moving wagon momentum problem -- find Buffy's weight

    I have attempted to plug in grams, kiliograms, and even pounds but it was wrong.
  33. T

    I Derivation of Eigenfunctions/Eigenvalues of the Momentum Operator

    Good afternoon all, In David Griffiths' "Intro to Quantum Mechanics", I'm looking through Example 3.2 on page 115 that shows how to get the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the momentum operator. I completely understand everything up until this part: ##\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f_p'^*(x)...
  34. I

    Ballentine Problem 7.1 Orbital Angular Momentum

    Find the probability distributions of the orbital angular momentum variables ##L^{2}## and ##L_{z}## for the following orbital state functions: ##\Psi(x) = f(r) sin(\theta) cos(\theta)## ##\Psi(x) = f(r) cos^{2}(\theta)##I am aware that the prob. distribution of an observable is ##|<a_{n} |...
  35. E

    I Finding the angular momentum of a Kerr black hole

    [Mentor Note -- Specialized question moved to the general technical forums] Homework Statement:: To show that ##J = Ma## for the charged Kerr metric [Wald Ch. 11 Pr. 6] Relevant Equations:: \begin{align*} \mathrm{d}s^2 = &- \left( \frac{\Delta - a^2 \sin^2{\theta}}{\Sigma}\right) \mathrm{d}t^2...
  36. J

    Compton Scattering - Find x component of electron momentum

    So I can find the initial momentum using p=h/wave = 4.98 x 10-23. Now my problem is that I don't know the final momentum of the photon nor electron, I just know the photon is scattered at an angle of 34 degrees. I know how to solve this problem if I was given the final wavelength of the light...
  37. J

    Compton Scattering - determine momentum

    So the initial wavelength gives the total momentum, p=h/11.2p. Which is 59.161y. Then I tried to substract the momentum from the scattered light to get the momentum of the electron. 59.161y-h/13.6p, which ends up being 0.4872 as the final answer, but the answer is supposed to be 0.77?
  38. akashpandey

    Direction of Angular velocity and Angular momentum?

    I am very confused when textbooks say the direction of Angular velocity is perpendicular ot radius and theta for that matter direction is in perpendicular direction. I know this comes from cross product rule but what is the meaning of Angular velocity and Angular momentum directing in upward...
  39. LCSphysicist

    How is the Matrix in Momentum Representation Derived?

    $$\langle p | W | p' \rangle = \int \langle p | x \rangle \langle x W | x' \rangle \langle x' p' \rangle dx dx'$$ $$\langle p | W | p' \rangle = \int \langle p | x \rangle \delta(x-x') W(x) \langle x' | p' \rangle dx dx'$$ $$\langle p | W | p' \rangle = \int \langle p | x' \rangle W(x') \langle...
  40. A

    I Momentum cutoff, Lorentz violation and the vacuum state

    Hi all - related to a question I asked some time ago: If one introduces a momentum cutoff, the result in the most basic case is Lorentz violation. That is, some form of preferred frame must be introduced. I'm wondering what this does to the vacuum state? That is, how does one keep the vacuum...
  41. lekh2003

    Momentum of Electron in a Box (IB Physics QM)

    Here's the question ^ My first thought to solving this is to use Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. $$\Delta x \Delta p = \frac{h}{4\pi}$$ Now, we approximate ##\Delta x = \frac{L}{2}##. Then, plug and chug we end up with:$$p =\frac{h}{2\pi L}$$ I thought this was it, especially because this...
  42. M

    The propagator of eigenstates of the Total Angular Momentum

    To show that when ##[J^2, H]=0 ## the propagator vanishes unless ##j_1 = j_2## , I did (##\hbar =1##) $$ K(j_1, m_1, j_2 m_2; t) = [jm, e^{-iHt}]= e^{iHt} (e^{iHt} jm e^{-iHt}) - e^{-iHt} jm $$ $$ = e^{iHt}[jm_H - jm] $$ So we have $$ \langle j_1 m_1 | [jm, e^{-iHt} ] | j_2 m_2 \rangle $$ $$ =...
  43. H

    What is the angular momentum of the clay-rod system?

    I calculate in this way : Angular Momentum = I W = [ ( 1/12 ML^2 + m(L/2)^2 ] (V/ L/2) = [ 1/12 ML^2 + 1/4 mL^2 ] 2V/L = 2VL/4 [ M/3 + M] but can not find a matching answer. Why?
  44. bo reddude

    I Physics of exercising and forces felt

    Let's imagine an ideal scenario where you're lifting your own weight in its entirety. Let's say a woman weighing 100 lbs. Suppose she's doing an idealized handstand and pushup from that position. So she's lifting 100 lbs. Let's say ideally all of the forces are on her arms only. Do these forces...
  45. hquang001

    Rotational motion and angular momentum

    mball = 2 kg, mputty = 0.05 kg, L = 0.5 m, v = 3m/s a) Moment of inertia : I = (2mball + mputty ). ¼ L^2 = 0.253125 kg.m^2 Linitial = Lfinal => mputty. v. r = I.ω => ω = (4.mputty.v.r) / I = 0.148 rad/s b) K initial = 1/2 m v^2 = 0.225 J K final = 1/2 Iω^2 = 2.85.10^(-3) J => Kfinal /...
  46. shankk

    I Is the classical relation between energy and momentum valid in QM?

    Here we are talking about non-relativistic quantum physics. So we all know kinetic energy T = E - V = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 in classical physics. Here V is the potential energy of the particle and E is the total energy. Now what I am seeing is that this exact same relation is being used in quantum...
  47. P

    Is the Book Right? Examining Conservation of Momentum

    My proposed solution: When the student stops at the end, suppose the carriage is moving at speed u. 0 = (M+2m)u - m(v - u) ==> u = mv/ M+3m After jumping out, the total momentum of the Carriage + collector system is 0 - mu = -m^2v/ M+3m. By conservation of momentum for the Carriage +...
  48. L

    I Angular Momentum Hydrogen Atom Problem: Physically Explained When L=0

    In quantum mechanics hydrogen atom problem ##L=\sqrt{l(l+1)}\hbar##. What that means physically when ##L=0##?
  49. hquang001

    Linear momentum problem with n particles

    To find the mass in other pan, i need to find the force caused by beads on the pan ∴ KEinitial + PEinitial = KEfinal + PEfinal 0 + mgh = ½ mv^2 => v = 3.13 m/s ∴ The change in momentum : p2 - p1 = m ( v2-v1) = m( v - (-v)) = 2mv ∴ F = Δp / Δt = n. m. v How can i apply the rate of 100...
  50. R

    Finding Acceleration of a Car Where Crumpling Occurs (Momentum)

    80km/h = 22.2 m/s Through momentum: 1940(v_f) = 540 (22.2) + (1400)(-22.2) => v_f = -9.84 m/s I figured the work that the energy lost in a collision is equal to the work done to crumple the cars. So W = K_i - Kf = [1/2 (540)(22.2)^2 + 1/2(1400)(-22.2)^2] - 1/2(1940)(-9.84)^ 2 = 384110 J At...
Back
Top