News — Conservation of Momentum

We have all been there. You introduce the concept of momentum, write p = mv on the board, and your students nod along. It seems simple enough—mass times velocity. But then you introduce impulse, the impulse-momentum theorem (FΔt = Δp), and conservation of momentum. Suddenly, the nods turn into blank stares. Students start confusing momentum with energy, or they struggle to understand why a bouncing ball experiences a greater change in momentum than a ball that sticks to the floor. Teaching momentum in high school physics can be a challenge because it requires students to connect abstract mathematical formulas to...