Calculating Impulse: What You Need to Know

To calculate the impulse delivered to an object, you need to consider the change in momentum experienced by the object. Impulse can be defined as the force exerted on an object over a small interval of time, or simply the change in momentum of the object.

The formula to calculate impulse is: I = F Δt = m(v-u) where I is the impulse, F is the force exerted, Δt is the time interval, m is the mass of the object, v is the final velocity, and u is the initial velocity.

Impulse is measured in Newton-seconds or kilogram-meter per second. When calculating the impulse delivered to a lab cart hitting a wall, you will need the mass of the cart, the initial velocity of the cart, and the final velocity of the cart after it hits the wall.

By knowing these measurements, you can accurately determine the impulse delivered to the lab cart during the collision.