What term describes the total momentum of a closed system remaining constant without external forces?

What term describes the total momentum of a closed system remaining constant without external forces?

• A. Conservation of Energy
• B. Conservation of Mass
• C. Conservation of Momentum
• D. Principle of Inertia

Answer: (C)

The total momentum of a closed system remaining constant in the absence of external forces is referred to as the conservation of momentum. This principle is foundational in mechanics and states that in a closed system, where no external forces are acting, the total momentum before an interaction must equal the total momentum after the interaction. This concept applies to various scenarios, such as collisions between objects. For instance, in an elastic collision, the momentum of the two colliding bodies combines to remain constant throughout the event. Since momentum is the product of mass and velocity, changes in either parameter among the interacting objects must compensate for one another to ensure that the overall momentum stays the same. The other concepts mentioned, such as conservation of energy and conservation of mass, refer to different principles. Conservation of energy deals with the total energy remaining constant in an isolated system, and conservation of mass pertains to the mass in a closed system also remaining constant. The principle of inertia describes the tendency of an object to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force but does not specifically address momentum. Thus, conservation of momentum is the most accurate term to describe the situation presented in the question.

The total momentum of a closed system remaining constant in the absence of external forces is referred to as the conservation of momentum. This principle is foundational in mechanics and states that in a closed system, where no external forces are acting, the total momentum before an interaction must equal the total momentum after the interaction.

This concept applies to various scenarios, such as collisions between objects. For instance, in an elastic collision, the momentum of the two colliding bodies combines to remain constant throughout the event. Since momentum is the product of mass and velocity, changes in either parameter among the interacting objects must compensate for one another to ensure that the overall momentum stays the same.

The other concepts mentioned, such as conservation of energy and conservation of mass, refer to different principles. Conservation of energy deals with the total energy remaining constant in an isolated system, and conservation of mass pertains to the mass in a closed system also remaining constant. The principle of inertia describes the tendency of an object to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force but does not specifically address momentum. Thus, conservation of momentum is the most accurate term to describe the situation presented in the question.