A ball with a momentum of 4.0 kg ⋅ m/s hits a wall and bounces straight back without losing any kinetic energy. What is the impulse applied on the wall?

1 Answer
Ananda Dasgupta
Apr 11, 2018

#8.0" Kg"*"m/s"#

Explanation:

Since the ball bounces back without losing kinetic energy, its speed, and hence the magnitude of its momentum remains the same after the collision, only the direction reverses.

The change in momentum of the ball is #8.0" Kg"*"m/s"# .

Since the force that the ball exerts on the wall is equal and opposite to that exerted on it by the wall, the impulse exerted on the wall is equal in magnitude (though opposite in direction) to that exerted on the ball.

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