What is Impulse?

Impulse is a physical quantity that represents the change in momentum with respect to time. The equation for Impulse can be represented as Jnet=(mvf-mvi)/t where Jnet represents the impulse, mvf represents the final momentum, mvi represents the initial momentum, and t represents time. Another equally important equation for Impulse is Jnet=f*(tf-ti) where f represents force, tf represents the final time, and ti represents initial time. You may be asking to yourself why Impulse is important.

I am here to tell you that the concept of Impulse is important in the world of safety. In cars especially, air bags use the concept of Impulse to help protect the driver and the passengers. To explain the concept of air bags, we would use the equation Jnet=f*(tf-ti). We know that in collisions there will be some amount of force that will be applied to the car. To minimize the effects of this, air bags increase the time in which the force is applied meaning that there is smaller force enacted upon the people through a longer period of time inside .Therefore, it would cause less damage.

A simple physics topic such as Impulse can have great applications in the real world which can help to save lives. Here is a fun fact about the concept of Impulse before we leave here. Before Sir Issac Newton used the equation Fnet=ma to find net force, the foundation for all other physics equations, Sir Issac Newton used the equation Fnet = (Jnet)/(t). That is just something to think about.

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