Impulse Calculator
Calculate impulse from either a constant force acting over time or from an object’s change in momentum.
Method
N
s
Equal to the change in momentum
- 1
Impulse = Force × time
50 × 4 = 200
How does this calculator work?
Impulse equals force times the time it acts (J = F·Δt) and also equals the change in momentum (J = m·(v − u)). It is measured in newton-seconds. Divide impulse by the contact time to get the average force, F = J/Δt. Enter a force and time, or a mass and velocity change, to compute it.
Formula
How this is calculated
Impulse (J) measures the total effect of a force acting over a time interval and is equal to the change in momentum of the object. In "Force & time" mode you supply the constant force F (newtons) and the time interval Δt (seconds); impulse is simply their product J = F·Δt, measured in newton-seconds (N·s).
In "Mass & velocity change" mode you supply the mass m (kilograms) and the initial and final velocities u and v (metres per second). The impulse equals the change in momentum, J = Δp = m·(v − u). If you also enter the time interval Δt, the calculator returns the average force F = J/Δt that produced that momentum change. Note that 1 N·s equals 1 kg·m/s, so both methods yield the same units.
The model assumes a constant (or time-averaged) force, which is why the force-over-time plot is a rectangle whose area equals the impulse. For real impacts the force varies, but the impulse and average force remain well defined. Edge cases: a zero time interval makes the average force undefined (division by zero), and a negative impulse simply means the net force acts opposite to the chosen positive direction.
Frequently asked questions
Impulse is measured in newton-seconds (N·s), which is equivalent to kilogram-metres per second (kg·m/s) — the same units as momentum.
The impulse-momentum theorem states that the net impulse on an object equals its change in momentum: J = Δp = m·(v − u).
Divide the impulse by the time over which it acts: F_avg = J / Δt. A longer contact time spreads the same impulse over more time, reducing the average force.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Impulse Calculator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/impulse-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Impulse Calculator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/impulse-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Impulse Calculator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/impulse-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_impulse_calculator, title = {Impulse Calculator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/impulse-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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