Violation of Conservation of Momentum Law in Collisions?

In summary, the conservation of momentum states that the momentum of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its velocity. In the scenario of a moving golf ball hitting a stationary bowling ball, the momentum of the bowling ball would be much smaller due to its greater mass, but it would still be equal to the initial momentum of the golf ball. This is because the golf ball would bounce back and retain some of its initial momentum, while the bowling ball would not move much. Therefore, the momentum would not violate the law of conservation.
  • #1
sk8rlindz
8
0
I have a question about the conservation of momentum. if a moving golf ball hits a bowling ball that's not moving, wouldn't the momentum be bigger than the momentum of the golf ball before the collision? THe velocity of the bowling ball would be very small... doesn't this violate the momentum law?
 
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  • #2
The momentum of an object is equal to its mass, multiplied by its velocity. The bowling ball will obviously be much heavier than the golf ball, so it will not have as great of a speed, yet because of its mass, would still have about the same momentum. A golf ball would probably bounce back when it hits the bowling ball, so it would retain some of the initial momentum and the bowling ball would not move very much.
wouldn't the momentum be bigger than the momentum of the golf ball before the collision?
What are you trying to say here? The momentum would be about the same, because as you said, the bowling ball would have less speed, but it also has more mass so it's equal.
 
  • #3
I was just wondering if the momentum would be bigger for the golf ball before the collision than after.. if it was wouldn't that prove the conservation law false?
 

1. What is the momentum law?

The momentum law, also known as the law of conservation of momentum, states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant. This means that the total momentum before an event must be equal to the total momentum after the event.

2. How does a violation of the momentum law occur?

A violation of the momentum law can occur when an external force is applied to a system, changing its momentum without an equal and opposite change in another object's momentum within the system. This can also happen if there is an unbalanced force acting on a system, causing an acceleration and therefore a change in momentum.

3. What are some examples of violations of the momentum law?

One example of a violation of the momentum law is when a car crashes into a stationary object. The car's initial momentum is transferred to the object, causing it to move and changing the total momentum of the system. Another example is when a rocket launches into space, as the expelled gas provides a force that propels the rocket forward, changing its momentum.

4. How does the momentum law relate to Newton's third law of motion?

Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This means that when two objects interact, their momentum must change in opposite directions, keeping the total momentum of the system constant.

5. Can the momentum law be violated in any circumstances?

No, the momentum law is a fundamental law of physics and cannot be violated in any circumstances. It has been extensively tested and proven to be true in various scenarios, from macroscopic objects to subatomic particles.

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