The center of mass frame of reference

A particularly useful frame of reference in many cases is the frame that moves along with the center of mass, called the center of mass (c.m.) frame. In this frame, the total momentum is zero. The following examples show how the center of mass frame can be a powerful tool for simplifying our understanding of collisions.

A collision of pool balls viewed in the c.m. frame

The slingshot effect

Discussion Questions

A	Make up a numerical example of two unequal masses moving in one dimension at constant velocity, and verify the equation ptotal = mtotalvcm over a time interval of one second.
B	A more massive tennis racquet or baseball bat makes the ball fly off faster. Explain why this is true, using the center of mass frame. For simplicity, assume that the racquet or bat is simply sitting still before the collision, and that the hitter's hands do not make any force large enough to have a significant effect over the short duration of the impact.