Final answer:
The law of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant. This means that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, as long as there is no net external force acting on the system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law of conservation of momentum states that for an isolated system with any number of objects in it, the total momentum is conserved.
In equation form, the law of conservation of momentum for an isolated system is written as:
pinitial = pfinal
This means that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.
As long as there is no net external force acting on the system, the law of conservation of momentum applies.