What is conservation of momentum?

Answer 1

The law of conservation of momentum states that when 2 or more bodies act upon one another, their total momentum remain constant, provided no external forces are acting.

Answer 2

Momentum is defined as the vector product of m * v. This is a concept even more basic than that of force since d(m*v)/dt = m*dv/dt + v*dm/dt. The first term of the derivitive is your familiar F=m*a. The second term was usually ignored until Einstein showed up to show that mass and the speed of light were related. Momentum is conserved in perfectly inelastic collisions; if a mass with a certain momentum hits a second mass, the second mass will start moving along the line of the first mass, and the sum of all m*v products will be that of the original momentum. In an elastic collision, momentum can be lost, but the lost momentum is converted to impulse, F*dt, which has the same units; and the sum of both is the initial momentum.

Answer 3

momentum = mass * velocity

conservation of momentum is the equality of two different situation between mass and velocity
For example, when big car crashes the small one, the big car decelerates while the small one accelerates in the bigger proportion. Or when one moving object crashes another stationary object, if they share same mass and the former stop moving completely , the latter will move with the initial velocity of the former.

Answer 4

The total momentum before colision equal to the total momentum after the colision.

Answer 5

only applies to Elastic collisions. sum of all the vector mv products before the collision/event will equal the sum of all mv products afterwards. In inelastic collisions some momentum is transformed to a different energy type (eg heat)

Answer 6

The centre of mass of any system of objects will always continue with the same velocity unless acted on by a force outside the system.