Calculate ideal falling momentum, impact speed, fall time, or distance-averaged net stopping force. The object starts at rest under constant gravity without air resistance; force estimates are not peak loads or safety design values.

Find momentum just before impact.

Released from rest; constant gravity; no air resistance. Force estimates are not peak loads or safety design values.

Earth approximation; edit for your environment.

Falling Momentum Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Falling Momentum.

p = SQRT (2 × g × H) × m
  • Where p is the Falling Momentum (kg*m/s)
  • H is the total height of the fall (m)
  • m is the mass of the object (kg)
  • g is the acceleration due to gravity (initially 9.81 m/s^2; editable)

To calculate the falling momentum, take the square root of 2 times the gravity times the height, then multiply the result by the mass.

What are the units for Falling Momentum?

The most common units for Falling Momentum are kg*m/s.

How to Calculate Falling Momentum?

Example Problem:

The following example problem outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Falling Momentum.

First, determine the total height of the fall. In this example, the total height of the fall is determined to be 400 (m).

Next, determine the mass of the object. For this problem, the mass of the object is measured to be 5 (kg).

Finally, calculate the Falling Momentum using the formula above: 

p = SQRT (2*g*H) * m

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation with the input values gives: 

p = SQRT (2*9.81*400) * 5 = 442.94 (kg*m/s)