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Name: mandy
Status: student
Age: 17
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
What is an easy way for second graders to understand the conceptual difference between momentum and force.

Replies:
Force makes momentum change. Mathematically, the force on an object is equal to the rate at which the object's momentum changes.

Tim Mooney

Not an easy concept to convey to students especially at young age. You might try the following analogy: Acceleration is the rate of change (time) of velocity. This is simple to explain using the concept of acceleration in an automobile. Analogously, force is the rate of change of momentum.

Harold Myron

Force is how hard you push or pull on an object. Momentum relates more to how hard it is to stop an object from moving. A 10mph bowling ball is much more difficult to stop than a 10mph ping-pong ball. The bowling ball has more momentum.

Momentum is within an object, carried with the object. Force is between objects. Momentum is like what the object has in its bank account. Force is like giving some of this momentum to another object every second they are in contact. I use "bank account" rather than "wallet" because a bank account balance can be negative. It allows momentum to have direction.

Kenneth Mellendorf


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