How does force change an object’s momentum?

According to Isaac Newton’s second law of motion, the time rate of change of an object's momentum is directly equal to the net force acting upon it.1

When a constant force is applied to an object over a specific time interval, the product of that force and the time—known as impulse—results in a corresponding change in the object's momentum. Because momentum is a vector quantity, possessing both magnitude and direction, the applied force alters the object's motion by changing its velocity in the direction of the force.12

In the context of rotational motion, a force can also change an object's angular momentum if the force produces a torque—a twisting force that does not act directly along the radial vector from the point of rotation. These principles are fundamental to the law of conservation of momentum, which dictates that in the absence of net external forces, the total momentum of a system remains constant.31