Headings Forces and
Motion Search Questions 
Momentum - Law of Conservation.
The law of conservation
of momentum
states that
the total momentum of
a closed system does not
change.
This means that when two
objects collide
the total momentum of the objects
before the collision
is the same as
the total momentum of the objects
after the collision.
Total
momentum means
the momentum of object 1 plus
the momentum of object 2.
Object 1 might not
have the same momentum before
and
after the collision
but the amount of momentum
object 1 gains from the collision
is the same as the amount
of momentum object 2 loses
so the total remains the same
whether the collision
is elastic or inelastic.
The total momentum is also the same before and after an explosion.
"Closed system"
is
used to mean that only the
forces of the
two objects
colliding affects the motion
of the objects (Newton's
Third Law).
If another force (called an external
force)
affects the motion of the objects
then the momentum is not
conserved (it will change).
Headings Forces and
Motion Search Questions
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