Question

The velocity of a car of mass 600 kg changes from 5 m/s to 10 m /s in 2seconds. Determine the impulse

Answer 1

Given,

Mass of the car =600 kg

Initial velocity= 5 m/s

Final velocity = 10 m/s

Time for which force acts = 2 s

Impulse on an object is the product of force and the time for which the force acts on the object. It is given by,

I = F×T,

Here, F is the force on the object and T is time.

Let us first calculate the force acting on the car.

Force = mass×acceleration

Acceleration = (Final velocity - Initial velocity)/T

= $\frac{10 - 5}{2}$ = 2.5 m/s²

So, Force= 600 × 2.5 =1500 N

∴Impulse on the car =1500×2 =3000 N s