Enter the total linear force (N) and the change in time (s) into the calculator to determine the Linear Impulse. 

Linear Impulse Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the Linear Impulse. 

JL = LF * dt
  • Where JL is the Linear Impulse (N/s)
  • LF is the total linear force (N) 
  • dt is the change in time (s) 

To calculate the linear impulse, multiply the linear force by the change in time.

How to Calculate Linear Impulse?

The following two example problems outline how to calculate the Linear Impulse.

Example Problem #1:

  1. First, determine the total linear force (N). In this example, the total linear force (N) is given as 45.
  2. Next, determine the change in time (s). For this problem, the change in time (s) is given as 3.
  3. Finally, calculate the Linear Impulse using the equation above: 

JL = LF / dt

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation: 

JL = 45 * 3 = 135 (N-s)

Example Problem #2: 

Using the same process as above, first define the variables required by the formula. In this case, these values are provided as the following:

total linear force (N) = 160

change in time (s) = 2

Entering these values gives:

JL = 160 *2 = 320 (N-s)