A person with a mass of 15 kg is walking on a flat surface at a velocity of 5 m/s. What's the walker's momentum?
A. 0.3 kg-m/s
B. 75 kg-m/s
C. 20 kg-m/s
D. 3 kg-m/s
Answer (2)
The problem asks to calculate momentum given mass and velocity.
Recall the formula for momentum: p = m v .
Substitute the given values: p = 15 v \t k g t im es 5 v \t m / s .
Calculate the momentum: 75 kg-m/s .
Explanation
Problem Analysis We are given the mass and velocity of a person walking on a flat surface and asked to find the walker's momentum.
Momentum Formula Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity. The formula for momentum is: p = m × v where: p is the momentum, m is the mass, and v is the velocity.
Given Values We are given: Mass, m = 15 kg Velocity, v = 5 m/s
Calculation Now, we substitute the given values into the momentum formula: p = 15 kg × 5 m/s p = 75 kg-m/s
Final Answer Therefore, the walker's momentum is 75 kg-m/s.
Examples
Understanding momentum is crucial in many real-world scenarios, such as car crashes. The higher the momentum of a vehicle, the greater the impact it will have in a collision. For example, a large truck moving at a certain speed has a much higher momentum than a small car moving at the same speed, and thus will cause more damage in a crash. This concept is also vital in sports, like understanding how a baseball's momentum affects how far it travels when hit.
The momentum of the walker is calculated using the formula p = m × v . Substituting the given mass of 15 kg and velocity of 5 m/s results in a momentum of 75 kg-m/s. Therefore, the correct answer is B. 75 kg-m/s.
;
