Is it possible for a ball to have more momentum than a truck?

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1036874

2026-04-26 08:35

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Momentum is mass times velocity. A bullet could theoretically have the same momentum as a moving truck if the bullet's speed is great enough. But practically, no--a bullet going that fast in the atmosphere would break up or burn up instantly. In outer space, it would be possible, but it would be hard to get the bullet up to that speed.

Bullets already travel very fast (a fast bullet can go 4,000 feet per second, which is 2,700 miles per hour), but they are very light (a 250 grain bullet = 0.036 pounds). If a truck weighs 10 tons and is going 55 miles per hour, for instance, that 250 grain bullet would have to travel 30 million miles per hour to have the same momentum.

Of course, the trivial answer is yes--both can have zero momentum if neither is moving!

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