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Momentum and Energy

Momentum

A sports team can be said to have momentum. What does momentum mean in physics?

Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity. Momentum is a vector quantity—it has both magnitude and direction. Consider a football player—a lineman. Linemen are massive. If they can run fast, then the product of their mass and velocity is their momentum (mv). The momentum is in the direction the player is moving.



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