Can an object obtain a larger impulse from a smaller force than from a larger force? Explain?

It depends on how long the force is applied. Impulse is the area under the Force-vs-time curve. If a small force is applied over a very long time span, the impulse may be quite large. Conversely, if a LARGE force is applied over a tiny amount of time, the impulse may be relatively small.





If you want to compare the impulses when both forces are applied over the same time span, the answer is, of course, that the larger force will yield the larger impulse.Can an object obtain a larger impulse from a smaller force than from a larger force? Explain?
To try and keep it apples to apples and oranges to oranges, this only thing I can think of;





Say you put a 32.2 pound ball on the floor. The force at the point of contact is 32.2 pounds force.





The mass of the ball is 32.2 / 32.2 = 1 pound mass (slug) (since gravity is 32.2 ft/s/s)





Now you use a 1/2 pound mass ball at same size. In order to keep the same force, since F = ma, 32.2 = 1/2 a, so now use an acceleration of 64.4 ft/s/s.





The force is still the same put the impulse is twice as large.





If you were lying on the floor, would you rather have the 32.2 pound ball sitting on your chest, or have a 16.1 pound ball hit you in the chest at 32.2 feet/s/s?Can an object obtain a larger impulse from a smaller force than from a larger force? Explain?
He's right.





The concept of a solar sail, for example. They use the tiny ammount of pressure applied to something by the light bouncing off it to gain speed. This is slow, but unlike rockets or anything else, it doesn't require fule and will continue to gain impulse as long as the sun is shooting photons and the sail is deployed. Hypotheticaly, this could be used to approch lightspeeds, where rockets wouldn't have a chance at that.