In physics, momentum means: The 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).
In Turkish: momentum, çizgisel momentum
How it is used
Central to collisions, explosions and rocket motion. Momentum is gained, transferred and conserved. The plural in formal texts is 'momenta'. For rotating objects, physicists use angular momentum.
Example sentences
A 0.15 kg ball moving at 40 m/s has a momentum of 6 kg·m/s.
At the same speed, the truck has much more momentum than the car.
Common collocations
linear momentum
angular momentum
change in momentum
momentum is conserved
transfer momentum
Related terms
impulseThe 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).
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.
massThe amount of matter in an object, which also measures how hard it is to change the object's motion. It is measured in kilograms (kg) and does not depend on location.
velocityHow fast an object moves in a particular direction. It is speed with a direction, so it is a vector, measured in metres per second (m/s).
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.
