Impulse Calculator

Kaava

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.