Question

Difficulty: EasyNewton's Laws of Motion and Linear Momentum

The impulse imparted to an object by a net force is equal to the time rate of change of the object's linear momentum.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Impulse is equal to the total change in linear momentum (J=ΔpJ = \Delta p), while the time rate of change of linear momentum (ΔpΔt\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}) represents the net force.
The statement is false. By definition, impulse is the product of net force and the time interval during which it acts (J=FΔtJ = F \Delta t), which equals the total change in linear momentum (Δp\Delta p). In contrast, the time rate of change of momentum (ΔpΔt\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}) is equal to the net applied force.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Define impulse according to the Impulse-Momentum Theorem
Impulse (JJ) is defined as J=FΔt=ΔpJ = F \Delta t = \Delta p, which represents the total change in momentum.
Establishing the mathematical definition of impulse.
2
Identify the physical quantity equal to the time rate of change of momentum
Newton's Second Law states that force F=ΔpΔtF = \frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}, which is the time rate of change of linear momentum.
Distinguishing between force and impulse.
3
Evaluate the statement
Because impulse equals total change in momentum (Δp\Delta p) rather than rate of change (ΔpΔt\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}), the statement is false.
Concluding the true/false verification.

Key Concept

Impulse-Momentum Theorem vs Newton's Second Law
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