Conservation of Momentum in Physics Collisions

What is the concept of Conservation of Momentum in physics?

Can you explain how Conservation of Momentum is applied in a collision scenario?

Explanation:

The concept of Conservation of Momentum states that in a closed system with no external forces, the total momentum of the system remains constant before and after a collision. This means that the total momentum of all objects involved in a collision stays the same, even if the objects interact and exert forces upon each other.

When applying the Conservation of Momentum in a collision scenario, you can calculate the initial momentum of each object based on their mass and velocity before the collision. Then, using the principle of conservation of momentum, you equate the total initial momentum to the total final momentum of the objects after the collision to solve for unknown quantities such as forces or final velocities.

In the given example of Nancy and Tonya colliding in the air, we can use the mass and velocity of both skaters to determine the force exerted by each skater on the other. By calculating the initial and final momentum of Nancy and Tonya and applying Newton's Second Law of Motion, we can determine the forces involved in the collision.