Question

The figure shows the position-time graph of a body of mass 0.04 kg. Suggest a suitable physical context for this motion. What is the time between two consecutive impulses received by the body? What is the magnitude of each impulse?

Answer 1

The graph could be representing a ball rebounding between two walls separated by 2 cm with a constant velocity in free space. After receiving the impulse ball changes its direction. Hence time between two impulses is 2 seconds.
$$velocity = \frac{displacement}{time} = \frac{2 \times 10^{-2}}{2} = 0.01 \ m/s$$
Initial momentum,
$$mu = 0.04 \times 10^{-2} \ kgm/s$$
Final momentum,
$$mv = - 0.04 \times 10^{-2} kgm/s$$
$$\therefore$$ Change in momentum = 0.08 \times 10^{-2} kgm/s $$