Question:medium

The rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the impressed force and takes place in the same direction in which the force acts. This statement is known as:

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Momentum ($p$) is a vector quantity. This means that a force can change the speed of an object, its direction, or both.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
  • Newton's first law of motion
  • Newton's second law of motion
  • Newton's third law of motion
  • none of these
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

A good way to feel out which law this describes is to think about catching a fast ball versus a slow one.

When you catch a fast-moving cricket ball, its momentum has to drop to zero very quickly, meaning the rate of change of momentum is large, and correspondingly your hand feels a large force, it stings. Catch a gently thrown ball instead, and its momentum changes slowly, so the force felt is small. This everyday observation is exactly the relationship the statement in the question describes: force is proportional to how quickly momentum changes.

This proportional cause-and-effect relationship between applied force and the resulting rate of change of momentum is not something the first law addresses, since it only concerns force-free motion, and it is not a paired-body interaction either, which would be the third law. It is the defining quantitative content of the second law.

Therefore: \[ \boxed{\text{Newton's second law of motion}} \]
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