Conservation of Momentum

The total never changes

An interactive lesson with 6 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• With no outside force, the total momentum of a system stays constant.
• Recoil: when parts start from rest and push apart, they get equal and opposite momenta.
• Rockets work by momentum conservation, even in empty space.

Steps

1. Push apart
2. Conservation of momentum
3. Watch the total
4. Recoil
5. Rockets
6. Boat jump