Impulse (redirected from Impulse (physics))

impulse, in mechanics: see momentum.

---

Impulse (mechanics)

The integral of a force over an interval of time. For a force F , the impulse J over the interval from t₀ to t₁ can be written as Eq. (1).

(1) 

The impulse thus represents the product of the time interval and the average force acting during the interval. Impulse is a vector quantity with the units of momentum.

The momentum-impulse relation states that the change in momentum of a mass m over a given time interval equals the impulse of the resultant force acting during that interval. The momentum change can be expressed in terms of the velocities v ₁ and v ₀ at times t₁ and t₀, respectively, giving Eq. (2). (2)  See Impact, Momentum