Skip to content
IGCSE Physics, Cambridge 0625, Malaysia

Momentum

Symbol: p · Unit: kg m/s

The product of an object's mass and velocity, a vector quantity conserved in collisions and explosions.

Momentum is calculated as:

p=mvp = mv

Momentum is a vector: it has direction. In calculations involving objects moving in opposite directions, one direction must be taken as positive and the other as negative.

The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of a system is conserved, provided no external resultant force acts.

total momentum before=total momentum after\text{total momentum before} = \text{total momentum after}

Need help understanding this?

A 0625 specialist can explain this concept using the student's own questions and show how it appears in exam papers.