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
1400 kg18 m/s1100 kg5 m/s

A 1400 kg car moving at 18 m/s collides head-on with a 1100 kg car moving at 5 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 = 1400 kgv1 = 18 m/sm2 = 1100 kgv2 = −5 m/s
v′ = m/s
2.Easy
2000 kg14 m/s500 kg14 m/s

A 2000 kg car moving at 14 m/s collides head-on with a 500 kg car moving at 14 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 = 2000 kgv1 = 14 m/sm2 = 500 kgv2 = −14 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
5 kg7 m/s4 kg

A 5 kg glider moving at 7 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 4 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 5 kgm2 = 4 kgv1 = 7 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
4.Medium
1.5 kg8 m/s1 kg

A 1.5 kg glider moving at 8 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 1 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 1.5 kgm2 = 1 kgv1 = 8 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
2 kgv = ?10 g20°L = 1.2 m

A 10 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 2 kg block hanging from light strings 1.2 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 20° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 10 gM = 2 kgL = 1.2 mθ = 20°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
21 m/s8 m/s

A 0.2 kg ball hits a wall at 21 m/s and bounces straight back at 8 m/s. The contact lasts 25 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.

m = 0.2 kgvin = 21 m/svout = 8 m/sΔt = 25 ms
J = N·s

Answer key

  1. 1. v′ = 7.88 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 8.4 m/s
  3. 3. v′2 = 7.778 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = 9.6 m/s
  5. 5. v = 239.5 m/s
  6. 6. J = 5.8 N·s

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