Identical forces act for the same length of time on two different objects.The magnitude of the change in momentum of the lighter object is
A)smaller than the magnitude of the change in momentum of the larger mass,but not zero.
B)larger than the magnitude of the change in momentum of the larger mass.
C)exactly equal to the magnitude of the change in momentum of the larger mass.
D)zero.
E)There is not enough information to answer the question.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum of the system before and after the interaction should be the same. As the forces acting on both objects are identical for the same length of time, the change in momentum of both objects should be the same. Therefore, the magnitude of the change in momentum of the lighter object is exactly equal to the magnitude of the change in momentum of the larger mass.

Identical Forces Act for the Same Length of Time on Two