Units of Momentum

Team Physics - Examples.com
Created by: Team Physics - Examples.com, Last Updated: April 25, 2024

Units of Momentum

What is Momentum?

Momentum is a fundamental concept in physics, representing the quantity of motion of a moving body. It is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. The momentum of an object is calculated by multiplying its mass by its velocity.

Momentum Formula

The formula for momentum is a key concept in physics that describes the motion of an object. Momentum (p) is calculated as the product of an object’s mass (饾憵) and its velocity (v). This relationship can be expressed through the equation:

p = m 脳 v

Mass (饾憵): This is the amount of matter in an object, usually measured in kilograms (kg). The mass is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction.

Velocity (v): Velocity is the speed of the object in a specific direction, making it a vector quantity. It is typically measured in meters

What are units of Momentum?

The units of momentum are expressed as kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s). This unit derivation comes from the momentum formula p=m脳v, where 饾憵 represents mass measured in kilograms (kg) and v denotes velocity measured in meters per second (m/s). The resulting unit, kg路m/s, indicates the product of an object’s mass and its velocity, providing a measure of its momentum which is fundamental in understanding motion dynamics and the effects of forces in physics.

SI units of momentum

SI units of momentum : kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s).

CGS units of momentum

CGS units of momentum : gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s).

The CGS (Centimeter-Gram-Second) units of momentum are gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s). This unit arises from using the CGS system’s base units for mass and velocity, where mass is measured in grams and velocity in centimeters per second.

List of Units of momentum

Unit NameSymbol
Kilogram meters per secondkg路m/s
Gram centimeters per secondg路cm/s
Slug feet per secondslug路ft/s
Pound feet per secondlb路ft/s

Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s)

The kilogram meter per second is the SI unit of momentum. It represents the momentum carried by a mass of one kilogram moving at one meter per second. It is widely used in physics to describe the quantity of motion of an object

Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s)

The gram centimeter per second is the CGS unit of momentum. It measures the momentum of a mass of one gram moving at one centimeter per second. This unit is often used in smaller-scale physics calculations and laboratory settings.

Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s)

A slug foot per second is a unit of momentum used in the imperial system. It quantifies the momentum of a mass of one slug moving at one foot per second. This unit is prevalent in regions that utilize the imperial system, such as the United States.

Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s)

The pound foot per second is another imperial unit of momentum. It describes the momentum of a mass of one pound moving at one foot per second. This unit is commonly used in various engineering and scientific applications within the United States

Conversion of Momentum Units

Conversion of Momentum Units
From UnitTo UnitConversion FactorFormula
Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s)Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s)1 kg路m/s = 100,000 g路cm/svalue in kg\cdotpm/s脳100,000value in kg\cdotpm/s脳100,000
Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s)Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s)1 g路cm/s = 0.00001 kg路m/svalue in g\cdotpcm/s脳0.00001value in g\cdotpcm/s脳0.00001
Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s)Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s)1 slug路ft/s = 32.174 lb路ft/svalue in slug\cdotpft/s脳32.174value in slug\cdotpft/s脳32.174
Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s)Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s)1 lb路ft/s = 0.03108 slug路ft/svalue in lb\cdotpft/s/32.174value in lb\cdotpft/s/32.174

From Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s) to Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s)

Conversion Factor: 1 kg路m/s equals 100,000 g路cm/s.

Example: If the momentum is 2 kg路m/s, it converts to 200,000 g路cm/s.

From Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s) to Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s)

Conversion Factor: 1 g路cm/s equals 0.00001 kg路m/s.

Example: If the momentum is 200,000 g路cm/s, it converts to 2 kg路m/s.

From Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s) to Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s)

Conversion Factor: 1 slug路ft/s equals 32.174 lb路ft/s.

Example: If the momentum is 3 slug路ft/s, it converts to 96.522 lb路ft/s.

From Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s) to Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s)

Conversion Factor: 1 lb路ft/s equals approximately 0.03108 slug路ft/s.

Example: If the momentum is 96.522 lb路ft/s, it converts to approximately 3 slug路ft/s.

Examples of Momentum units

  1. Kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s)
    • Example: A car with a mass of 1000 kg moving at a speed of 20 m/s has a momentum of: Momentum=1000鈥塳g脳20鈥塵/s=20,000鈥塳g\cdotpm/sMomentum=1000kg脳20m/s=20,000kg\cdotpm/s
  2. Gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s)
    • Example: A baseball with a mass of 145 g traveling at a speed of 40 cm/s has a momentum of: Momentum=145鈥塯脳40鈥塩m/s=5800鈥塯\cdotpcm/sMomentum=145g脳40cm/s=5800g\cdotpcm/s
  3. Slug feet per second (slug路ft/s)
    • Example: A freight train car with a mass of 10 slugs moving at 30 ft/s has a momentum of: Momentum=10鈥塻lug脳30鈥塮t/s=300鈥塻lug\cdotpft/sMomentum=10slug脳30ft/s=300slug\cdotpft/s
  4. Pound feet per second (lb路ft/s)
    • Example: A football with a mass of 0.75 lb moving at 60 ft/s has a momentum of: Momentum=0.75鈥塴b脳60鈥塮t/s=45鈥塴b\cdotpft/sMomentum=0.75lb脳60ft/s=45lb\cdotpft/s

FAQs

Does momentum have some units?

Momentum is measured in units such as kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s) in the SI system and gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s) in the CGS system. These units reflect the product of an object’s mass and its velocity.

What are the units for momentum function?

The units for momentum are typically expressed in kilogram meters per second (kg路m/s) in the International System of Units (SI) and gram centimeters per second (g路cm/s) in the Centimeter-Gram-Second (CGS) system. These units reflect the product of an object鈥檚 mass and its velocity.

What are the units of momentum in particle physics?

In particle physics, momentum is often measured in electronvolts per speed of light (eV/c), adapting energy units to describe particle velocities close to light speed.

AI Generator

Text prompt

Add Tone

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting