Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Momentum in physics is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. This relationship illustrates that momentum depends both on how much matter is present in the object (its mass) and how fast that matter is moving (its velocity). The formula for momentum is expressed as \( p = mv \), where \( p \) represents momentum, \( m \) is the mass of the object, and \( v \) is its velocity.

This definition is fundamental in understanding how momentum behaves in various physical scenarios, particularly in collisions and motion analysis. For example, a heavier object moving at a certain speed will have more momentum than a lighter object moving at that same speed, which affects how they interact in physical situations.

The other options provided pertain to different concepts in physics. Force times distance relates to work, velocity divided by time pertains to acceleration, and acceleration times mass refers to force as described by Newton's second law. Each of these formulas has its own specific applications and meanings that are distinct from the concept of momentum.