Year 11 - Science
Conservation of momentum
Forces make things change
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores forces, interactions, and Newton's laws, including motion, rotation, and momentum. It covers reaction times, stopping distances, and deceleration dangers. Emphasis is on force diagrams, calculations, experiments, and evaluating methods for accuracy and safety.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use the principle of conservation of momentum to calculate motions after a collision or explosion.
Key Notes
- Momentum = mass × velocity, p = mv
- In a closed system, the total momentum before an event equals the total momentum after the event.
Vocabulary To Learn
- momentum: is the product of the mass and velocity of an object, p = m × v
- kilogram metres per second: is the unit of momentum (kg m/s)
- conservation of momentum: is the principle that states, for a closed system, momentum is always conserved in any interaction
- collisions: happen when two objects move together and hit each other
- explosions: happen when a single object splits, or combined objects separate, into pieces that move apart
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may assume that being able to complete calculations by substituting numbers into an equation is the same as fully understanding the relationship.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Momentum = mass × velocity, p = mv. In a closed system, the total momentum before an event equals the total momentum after the event.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'momentum'
is the product of the mass and velocity of an object, p = m × v. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may assume that being able to complete calculations by substituting numbers into an equation is the same as fully understanding the relationship. Correction: Include questions for which pupils are required to explain their understanding.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Balancing Study Guide
- Changing momentum Study Guide
- Force, mass and acceleration (a = (v – u)/t) Study Guide
- Force, mass and acceleration (a = Δv/t) Study Guide
- Forces in two dimensions Study Guide
- Forces in two dimensions (including resolution of a force) Study Guide
- Moments, levers and gears Study Guide
- Newton's Second Law Study Guide
- Newton's Second Law (including inertia) Study Guide
- Newton's Third Law Study Guide
- Newton's Third Law (with free body diagrams in 2D) Study Guide
- Resultant forces and their effects Study Guide
- Stopping Study Guide
- Stopping (and estimating stopping distances) Study Guide
- Stopping safely Study Guide
- Terminal velocity Study Guide
- Terminal velocity (including graphical representation) Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Science guide library.