Momentum Calculator
Calculate linear momentum using p = mv. Enter mass and velocity to find momentum in kg⋅m/s (N⋅s). Includes examples for common objects.
MOMENTUM
50 kg⋅m/s
IN N⋅s
50 N⋅s
KE
125 J
FORMULA
p = m × v
Momentum — Common Examples
| Object | Mass | Speed | Momentum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball (pitched) | 0.145 kg | 40 m/s | 5.8 kg⋅m/s |
| Football (kicked) | 0.41 kg | 28 m/s | 11.48 kg⋅m/s |
| Person (running) | 75 kg | 5 m/s | 375 kg⋅m/s |
| Car (city) | 1500 kg | 13.4 m/s | 20,100 kg⋅m/s |
| Bowling ball | 6.35 kg | 8 m/s | 50.8 kg⋅m/s |
💡 How to Calculate Momentum
What Is Momentum?
Momentum is a measure of how much motion an object has. It depends on both an object's mass and its velocity. A heavy object moving slowly can have the same momentum as a light object moving quickly.
Momentum is a vector quantity — it has both magnitude and direction. It is one of the most important concepts in physics because of the law of conservation of momentum, which governs every collision and interaction.
How to Calculate Momentum
Momentum Formula
Where:
For example, a 1,500 kg car traveling at 30 mph (13.4 m/s) has a momentum of:
p = 1,500 × 13.4 = 20,100 kg⋅m/s
Conservation of Momentum
In any closed system where no external forces act, the total momentum before an event equals the total momentum after. This applies to billiard ball collisions, car crashes, rocket propulsion, and nuclear reactions.
Impulse-Momentum Theorem
The impulse-momentum theorem states that the change in momentum equals force multiplied by time:
This explains why airbags work — by increasing the collision time, they reduce the force on passengers while absorbing the same change in momentum.