Question

How much momentum will a dumb-bell of mass 10 kg transfer to the floor if it falls from a height of 80 cm? Take its downward acceleration to be 10 m/s².

Answer 1

Mass of the dumbbell, m = 10 kg

Distance covered by the dumbbell, s = 80 cm = 0.8 m

Acceleration in the downward direction, a = 10 m/s²

Initial velocity of the dumbbell, u = 0

Final velocity of the dumbbell (when it was about to hit the floor) = v

According to the third equation of motion:

v² = u² + 2as

v² = 0 + 2 (10) 0.8

v = 4 m/s

Hence, the momentum with which the dumbbell hits the floor is

= mv = 10 × 4 = 40 kg m s⁻¹