Okuzeka
Physics vocabulary · Energy, Work and Momentum

Impulse

Meaning in physics, with examples

/ˈɪmpʌls/nounCommon term

In physics, impulse means: The effect of a force acting over a time interval, equal to force multiplied by time. It equals the change in an object's momentum and is measured in newton seconds (N·s).

In Turkish: itme, impuls

How it is used

Used to explain crumple zones, airbags and why you bend your knees when you land: spreading the same impulse over a longer time means a smaller force. On a force-time graph, the impulse is the area under the curve.

Example sentences

  1. The airbag increases the collision time, so the same impulse is delivered with a smaller force.

  2. Find the impulse from the area under the force-time graph.

Common collocations

  • impulse-momentum theorem
  • force-time graph
  • deliver an impulse
  • change in momentum
  • momentumThe product of an object's mass and its velocity (p = mv). It is a vector and is measured in kilogram metres per second (kg·m/s).
  • forceA push or a pull that can change how an object moves or change its shape. It has both size and direction and is measured in newtons (N).
  • conservation of momentumThe principle that the total momentum of a system stays constant if no external force acts on it. The momentum before a collision or explosion equals the momentum after it.
  • elastic collisionA collision in which the total kinetic energy of the objects is the same before and after the impact. Momentum is conserved in every collision, but kinetic energy only in elastic ones.

More terms: Energy, Work and Momentum

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