To describe the motion of an object, or a system of objects, in terms of a new quantity, called momentum. To associate changes in the momentum of a system with external forces acting on the system. To model interactions within a system, speci cally collisions, using the law of. To distinguish between the two quantities momentum and kinetic energy, both of which characterize the motion of a system. To identify different types of collisions as elastic or inelastic, and to understand the role of momentum and kinetic energy in modelling these interactions. Momentum is de ned as the product of mass times velocity. It is a vector quantity so it has both a magnitude and a direction. The si units for momentum are kg meters per second. When we consider the sum of all forces acting on an object, this results in an acceleration.