JAMB UTMEPhysicsMechanics2022

The unit of momentum is:

Akg/s
Bkg·m/sCORRECT
Ckg·m/s²
Dkg·m²/s²
AI
Toasta AI Explanation
Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
**The reasoning** Momentum is defined as **mass × velocity**. Let's build the unit step by step: - Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) - Velocity is measured in meters per second (m/s) So momentum = mass × velocity = kg × (m/s) = **kg·m/s** This is a fundamental principle: **the unit of any quantity comes from multiplying the units of its components**. Just like area (length × width) gives m², momentum (mass × velocity) gives kg·m/s. **Why the wrong options tempt you** - **A) kg/s** — You might think "per second" alone works, forgetting velocity already has distance (meters) in it. - **C) kg·m/s²** — This is actually the unit of **force** (F = ma), where acceleration is m/s². Don't confuse momentum with force! - **D) kg·m²/s²** — This is the unit of **energy** (KE = ½mv²). The squared terms come from v², not from simple v. **Quick takeaway** Momentum = mass × velocity, so its unit is simply kg × m/s = **kg·m/s** — no squares, no tricks!
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