Question

In a collision, is the net impulse experienced by an object equal to its momentum change?

Answer 1

Yes. Impulse is defined as the change in momentum over an arbitrary time interval, or equally as the average force times the difference in time.

`J = Deltap`
`J = F_(avg)*(Deltat)`

You can see from the second equation why the unit of impulse is typically the Newton-second. (`N*s`)

If you know an object's initial momentum and its final momentum, the impulse is given by the difference between the two values.

`Deltap = p_(f) - p_(i)`
`J = p_(f) - p_(i)`