A ball traveling with an initial momentum of 2.5 kg*m/s bounces off a wall and comes back in the opposite direction with a momentum of -2.5 kg*m/s.
What impulse would be required to produce this change?
To find the impulse required to produce this change in momentum, we need to use the principle of conservation of momentum.
The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant before and after a collision. In this case, we can consider the ball and the wall as an isolated system.
The momentum of an object is given by the product of its mass and velocity: momentum = mass * velocity.
Initially, the ball has a momentum of 2.5 kg*m/s in one direction. After bouncing off the wall, the ball comes back in the opposite direction with a momentum of -2.5 kg*m/s.
Since momentum is a vector quantity, the negative sign indicates the opposite direction.
By using the principle of conservation of momentum, we can calculate the impulse required to produce this change. Impulse is defined as the change in momentum of an object and is given by the formula: impulse = final momentum - initial momentum.
Therefore, the impulse required to produce this change is:
impulse = (-2.5 kg*m/s) - (2.5 kg*m/s) = -5 kg*m/s.