Moment vs. Momentum: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 28, 2023
Moment is a specific point in time, whereas Momentum refers to the quantity of motion of a moving body, incorporating its mass and velocity.
Key Differences
Moment typically refers to a brief, precise point in time, often significant or noteworthy. It captures the essence of a specific instance without any duration. On the other hand, Momentum is a physical concept in mechanics, describing the tendency of a moving object to continue in its state of motion. It combines the object's mass and velocity, representing the "strength" of its movement.
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Dec 28, 2023
In everyday language, a moment can signify an emotional or critical juncture, embodying an experience or feeling that is fleeting yet impactful. In contrast, Momentum in physics and everyday contexts suggests a buildup of force or progress, often implying that this buildup makes stopping or changing direction more challenging.
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Dec 28, 2023
Moment is also used in various phrases to express immediacy or current focus, such as "at the moment" or "for a moment." Whereas Momentum is often referenced in discussions about progress or growth, such as in sports, business, or personal development, indicating an accumulation of effort leading to increasing speed or effectiveness.
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In technical fields, Moment has specific meanings, like in mathematics or engineering, where it refers to a measure of the turning effect of a force. Meanwhile, Momentum in physics is a conserved quantity, meaning it remains constant in a closed system unless acted upon by external forces, a principle that plays a crucial role in understanding motion.
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Dec 28, 2023
Moment as a concept is more static, pinpointing a specific instance without implying movement or change. In contrast, Momentum inherently involves movement and change, encapsulating the idea of motion and the impact of accumulated forces over time.
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Dec 28, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A specific point in time
The quantity of motion of a moving object
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Context
Often used in emotional or significant instances
Used in physics, sports, business to indicate progress or movement
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Implication
Static, pinpointing a specific instance
Dynamic, involving movement and change
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Technical Usage
In engineering, a measure of force's turning effect
In physics, a conserved quantity combining mass and velocity
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Common Phrases
"At the moment," "for a moment"
"Gaining momentum," "losing momentum"
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Moment and Momentum Definitions
Momentum
The impetus gained by a moving object.
The ball lost momentum as it rolled uphill.
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Momentum
The driving force gained by the development of a process.
The campaign gained momentum after the debate.
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Momentum
Progress or development that becomes hard to stop.
Their team has a lot of momentum going into the finals.
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Moment
A specific point in time, especially the present time
He is not here at the moment.
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Momentum
A measure of motion that combines mass and velocity.
The momentum of the train made it hard to stop quickly.
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Dec 28, 2023
Moment
A point in time that is gratifying or noteworthy
Even working on a dictionary has its moments.
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Momentum
Symbol p(Physics) A quantity used to measure the motion of a body, equal to the product of the body's mass and its velocity. Also called linear momentum.
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Moment
An occasion affording an opportunity
Viewed the blunder as a teachable moment.
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Momentum
The force or energy exhibited by a moving body
The ball did not have enough momentum to reach the goalposts.
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Moment
A particular period of importance, influence, or significance in a series of events or developments
A great moment in history.
Waiting for her big moment.
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Momentum
The driving force or advancing strength of a development or course of events
The effort to reform public education has been gaining momentum.
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Moment
Outstanding significance or value; importance
A discovery of great moment.
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Moment
A brief period of time that is characterized by a quality, such as excellence, suitability, or distinction
A lackluster performance that nevertheless had its moments.
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Momentum
(physics) Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its masses and velocities.
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Momentum
The impetus, either of a body in motion, or of an idea or course of events; a moment.
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Momentum
The quantity of motion in a moving body, being always proportioned to the quantity of matter multiplied by the velocity; impetus.
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Moment
The product of a quantity, such as force or mass, and its perpendicular distance from a reference point.
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Momentum
Essential element, or constituent element.
I shall state the several momenta of the distinction in separate propositions.
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Momentum
A property of an activity or course of events, viewed as analogous to forward motion or to physical momentum (def. 1), such that the activity is believed to be able to continue moving forward without further application of force or effort; - often used to describe an increase in the acquisition of public support for a purpose; as, as, the petition drive gained momentum when it was mentioned in the newspapers.
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Moment
(Statistics) The expected value of a positive integer power of a random variable. The first moment of a random variable is the mean of its probability distribution.
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Momentum
An impelling force or strength;
The car's momentum carried it off the road
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Moment
A brief, unspecified amount of time.
Wait a moment, while I lock the front door.
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Momentum
The product of a body's mass and its velocity;
The momentum of the particles was deduced from meteoritic velocities
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Momentum
A quantity used to predict the continued motion of an object.
The asteroid's momentum will carry it past Earth.
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Moment
A definite period of time, specifically one-tenth of a point, or one-fortieth or one-fiftieth of an hour.
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Moment
(math) An infinitesimal change in a varying quantity; an increment or decrement.
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Moment
(math) A quantitative measure of the shape of a set of points.
If the points represent mass, then the zeroth moment is the total mass, the first moment divided by the total mass is the center of mass, and the second moment is the rotational inertia.
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Moment
(As in "X moment") An embarrassing event, supposed to be characteristic of some person, group, or situation.
Woman moment
Reddit moment
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Moment
A minute portion of time; a point of time; an instant; as, at that very moment.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
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Moment
Impulsive power; force; momentum.
The moments or quantities of motion in bodies.
Touch, with lightest moment of impulse,His free will.
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Moment
Importance, as in influence or effect; consequence; weight or value; consideration.
Matters of great moment.
It is an abstruse speculation, but also of far less moment and consequence of us than the others.
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Moment
An essential element; a deciding point, fact, or consideration; an essential or influential circumstance.
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Moment
An infinitesimal change in a varying quantity; an increment or decrement.
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Moment
Tendency, or measure of tendency, to produce motion, esp. motion about a fixed point or axis.
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Moment
An indefinitely short time;
Wait just a moment
It only takes a minute
In just a bit
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Moment
At this time;
The disappointments of the here and now
She is studying at the moment
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Moment
Having important effects or influence;
Decisions of great consequence are made by the president himself
Virtue is of more moment that security
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Moment
The moment of a couple is the product of its force and the distance between its opposing forces
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Moment
The n-th moment of a distribution is the expected value of the n-th power of the deviations from a fixed value
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Moment
A point in time considered significant.
The signing of the treaty was a historic moment.
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Moment
An instance of particular importance or consequence.
It was a defining moment in her career.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
How is "momentum" calculated in physics?
By multiplying an object's mass by its velocity.
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Can a "moment" be long?
Typically, it refers to a very brief period, but contextually it can vary.
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Can "momentum" be used to describe non-physical scenarios?
Yes, it's often used metaphorically to describe progress in various contexts.
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Dec 28, 2023
Are "moment" and "momentum" interchangeable?
No, they have distinct meanings and uses.
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Dec 28, 2023
What does "moment" mean in everyday language?
It refers to a specific point in time, often significant or brief.
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Dec 28, 2023
Can an object have momentum when it's not moving?
No, momentum requires motion.
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Dec 28, 2023
Is "moment" always about time?
Primarily, but it can also imply importance or detail in a situation.
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Dec 28, 2023
Is "moment" used in technical fields?
Yes, especially in engineering and mathematics.
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Dec 28, 2023
Do "moment" and "momentum" have the same origin?
No, they originate from different Latin terms.
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Dec 28, 2023
How does "momentum" affect motion?
It influences the object’s ability to continue moving.
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Dec 28, 2023
Is momentum always a positive value?
It can be positive or negative, indicating direction.
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What's an example of "momentum" in sports?
A team gaining strength and advantage as the game progresses.
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Is a "moment" always memorable?
Not necessarily, it can be mundane or significant.
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Can a "moment" change history?
Yes, some moments are pivotal in historical contexts.
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Can "momentum" be lost?
Yes, especially when forces act against the motion.
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Can we control "moment" and "momentum"?
"Moment" is a concept of time, while "momentum" can be influenced by external forces.
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Dec 28, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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