Momentum & collisions worksheet with answers

Free printable Momentum & collisions worksheet: 6 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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1.Easy
5.5 kg400 m/sV = ?

A 5.5 kg rifle, free to move, fires an 8 g bullet at 400 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5.5 kgm = 8 gv = 400 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
1700 kg18 m/s800 kg8 m/s

A 1700 kg car moving at 18 m/s collides head-on with an 800 kg car moving at 8 m/s in the opposite direction. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).

m1 = 1700 kgv1 = 18 m/sm2 = 800 kgv2 = −8 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
3.5 kgv = ?12 gh = 21 cm

A 12 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 3.5 kg wooden block hanging on light strings, and stays inside it. The block swings up until it is 21 cm higher than at the start. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 12 gM = 3.5 kgh = 21 cmg = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
4.Medium
1 kg4 m/s2 kg

A 1 kg glider moving at 4 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 2 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 1 kgm2 = 2 kgv1 = 4 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
9 m/s7 m/s

A 0.4 kg ball hits a wall at 9 m/s and bounces straight back at 7 m/s. The contact lasts 20 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.4 kgvin = 9 m/svout = 7 m/sΔt = 20 ms
Favg = N
6.Hard
26 m/s6 m/s

A 0.55 kg ball hits a wall at 26 m/s and bounces straight back at 6 m/s. The contact lasts 20 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.55 kgvin = 26 m/svout = 6 m/sΔt = 20 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 0.5818 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 9.68 m/s
  3. 3. v = 594.1 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = 2.667 m/s
  5. 5. Favg = 320 N
  6. 6. Favg = 880 N

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