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Grade 11Mechanics

Can the impulse of a force be zero, even if the force is not zero? Explain why or why not

Profile image of Radhika Batra
11 Years agoGrade 11
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1 Answer

Profile image of Kevin Nash
11 Years ago
Yes, the impulse of a force can be zero, even if the force is not zero.
Impulse of a force is defined as the change in momentum produced by the force and it is equal to the product of force and the time for which it acts. The impulse of a force can be zero, if the net force acting on the particle during that time interval is constant. Since the force is constant (both magnitude and direction), so change in momentum produced by the force will be zero. Therefore impulse of the force will be zero.
From the above observation we conclude that, impulse of a force can be zero, even if the force is not zero.