A ball whose momentum is mv strikes a wall and bounces off. The change in the ball's momentum is
A) 0.
B) 0.5 mv
C) mv
D) 2 mv

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The change in momentum is calculated by the final momentum minus the initial momentum. If the ball bounces off the wall with the same speed but in the opposite direction, its momentum changes from mv to -mv. Therefore, the change in momentum is -mv - mv = -2mv, considering the direction. The magnitude of this change is 2mv.

A Ball Whose Momentum Is Mv Strikes a Wall and Bounces