Enter the mass, change in velocity, and change in time into the calculator to determine the average impact force. This calculator can evaluate any of the variables from the formula below if the values of the other variables are known.

Average Impact Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Average Impact Force.

Iave = m* v/2t
  • Where Iave is the average impact force (N)
  • m is the mass of the moving object (kg)
  • v is the change in velocity during impact (m/s)
  • t is the change in time during impact (s)

To calculate an average impact force, divide the change in velocity by the change in time times two, then multiply by the mass.

What is an Average Impact Force?

Definition:

The force of an impact results from the mass and velocity of the object striking another object. In the case of a collision, the force is defined as the change in momentum divided by the time over which that change occurs.

How to Calculate Average Impact Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Average Impact Force.

First, determine the mass of the moving object. In this example, the mass is 25 kg.

Next, determine the change in velocity. For this problem, the impact causes the object to go from 200 m/s to 0 m/s = 200 m/s change in velocity.

Next, determine the change in time. The impact lasts for a total of .5 seconds in this case.

Finally, calculate the average impact force using the formula above:

Iave = m* v/t

Iave = 25 * 200/ .5

Iave = 10,000 N