Momentum and Acceleration

Momentum is defined as mass times velocity, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

To be more accurate, velocity is a vector quantity, it has both magnitude and direction. Momentum is therefore also a vector quantity in the direction of the velocity with magnitude equal to the mass times the magnitude of the velocity:

1) p = mv

Acceleration is also a vector quantity and in the direction of the change in velocity direction and represents the rate of change of velocity:

2) a = dv/dt

Force is defined as the rate of change of momentum, and is therefore also a vector in the direction of the momentum change:

3) F = dp/dt

Substituting 1) in 3) we get:

4) F = m(dv/dt)

And since 2) defines dv/dt as acceleration we get:

5) F = ma
Which, as you know, is one of Newton's laws.


From wikipedia
"When a force is applied to a rigid body it changes the momentum of that body. A small force applied for a long time can produce the same momentum change as a large force applied briefly, because it is the product of the force and the time for which it is applied that is important."

Impulse is force*time, basically.

The formula for force: F= ma
The formula for momentum: p=mv
The formula for impulse: I = delta(F) * time


So, you'd need to know the time.