Momentum Calculator
Calculate linear momentum, kinetic energy and impulse for a moving object.
Results
Momentum is the product of mass and velocity - it measures how hard it is to stop a moving object. Unlike kinetic energy, momentum is a vector and is conserved in all collisions. This calculator shows momentum, the associated kinetic energy and the impulse (force × time) needed to bring the object to rest.
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Frequently asked questions
Momentum = mass × velocity = 5 × 10 = 50 kg·m/s. Stopping this ball requires an impulse of 50 N·s.
Force = momentum / time. A 50 kg·m/s object stopped in 0.5 seconds requires 100 N of force. Longer stopping times reduce the required force.
Momentum = mv (linear with speed), kinetic energy = 0.5mv² (quadratic with speed). A 5 kg object at 10 m/s has 50 kg·m/s momentum but 250 J of energy.
Yes, total momentum is always conserved in collisions. If a 5 kg ball at 10 m/s hits a stationary 5 kg ball, the total momentum before and after is 50 kg·m/s.
A 1500 kg car at 13.4 m/s (30 mph) has 20,100 kg·m/s of momentum. In a 0.1-second crash, the average impact force is 201,000 N - about 13.7 times the car's weight.