Question

Is there ever a situation where an ant will have more momentum than an elephant? Explain why or why not?

Answer 1

Answer:

Yes

Explanation:

The momentum of an object is given by:

$p=mv$

where

m is the mass of the object

v is the velocity of the object

We know that an elephant has a mass much larger than the mass of an ant. However, we see that the momentum of the animal also depends on its velocity.

If the elephant is at rest, its velocity is zero:

v = 0

so its momentum is also zero:

p = 0

And therefore, an ant which is moving (so, non-zero speed) can have more momentum than an elephant, if the elephant is at rest.