Velocity is a vector quantity, having both magnitude (speed) and direction. Momentum is mass multiplied by velocity (p = mv), so it is also a vector quantity. When a ball bounces, its downward velocity just before impact changes to an upward velocity just after impact. Even if the speed remains the same (in a perfectly elastic collision with no energy loss), the change in direction causes a significant change in the velocity vector, and thus a sudden change in the momentum vector.
When a ball bounces off the ground, which of the following changes suddenly ? (Assume no loss of energy to the floor)
Asked in UPSC NDA 2 2019 · Topic: Mechanics (Systems of Particles and Collisions)
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