What is the equation for calculating momentum?

Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. The equation for momentum is represented as ( p = mv ), where ( p ) is the momentum, ( m ) is the mass, and ( v ) is the velocity. This relationship illustrates that momentum depends directly on both the mass of the object and its speed; thus, an increase in either mass or velocity results in a greater momentum.

In physics, momentum is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and direction. This property makes momentum a crucial concept in understanding collisions and interactions among objects in motion, as it helps to describe and predict the outcome of these events based on the quantities of mass and velocity involved.

Other equations provided do not correctly represent the definition of momentum. For example, the equation ( p = mv^2 ) suggests that momentum depends on the square of the velocity, which does not reflect how momentum actually behaves in physical scenarios. Similarly, the equation ( p = m + v ) incorrectly adds mass and velocity together, lacking any physical foundation in terms of momentum. Finally, ( p = m/v ) implies an inverse relationship that does not apply to momentum calculation. Hence, the identification of ( p = mv \