Enter the sum of the thrust forces (N) and the time (seconds) into the calculator to determine the Total Impulse. 

Total Impulse Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the Total Impulse. 

Itotal = Σ  Ft * dt
  • Where Itotal is the Total Impulse (N-s)
  • Σ Ft is the sum of the thrust forces (N) 
  • dt is the time (seconds) 

To calculate the total impulse, multiply the sum of the thrust forces by the time.

How to Calculate Total Impulse?

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

Example Problem #1:

  1. First, determine the sum of the thrust forces (N). In this example, the sum of the thrust forces (N) is given as 250.
  2. Next, determine the time (seconds). For this problem, the time (seconds) is given as 3.
  3. Finally, calculate the Total Impulse using the equation above: 

Itotal = Σ  Ft * dt

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation: 

Itotal = 250 * 3 = 750 (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:

sum of the thrust forces (N) = 150

time (seconds) = 4

Entering these values gives:

Itotal = 150* 4 = 600 (N-s)