Which option best describes momentum?

• A. The product of mass and velocity.
• B. The energy of motion.
• C. The ability to resist change.
• D. The distance over which force is applied.

Answer: (C)

Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. This means that heavier objects or objects moving faster have more momentum, and the momentum points in the same direction as the motion. The idea captures how much motion an object has and how hard it is to stop or change that motion.

The option describing momentum as the product of mass and velocity is the correct way to describe momentum because it combines both how much stuff there is and how fast it’s moving. The energy of motion, or kinetic energy, is a different quantity (1/2 m v^2) and reflects how much energy the object has due to its motion, not its momentum. The ability to resist change refers to inertia, which is related but not the definition of momentum. The distance over which force is applied relates to work done, not momentum, so it doesn’t define momentum either.