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 kg600 m/sV = ?

A 5.5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 15 g bullet at 600 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5.5 kgm = 15 gv = 600 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
3 kg700 m/sV = ?

A 3 kg rifle, free to move, fires an 8 g bullet at 700 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 3 kgm = 8 gv = 700 m/s
V = m/s
3.Medium
1 kg2 m/s4 kg

A 1 kg glider moving at 2 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 = 1 kgm2 = 4 kgv1 = 2 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
4.Medium
3 kg10 m/s4 kg

A 3 kg glider moving at 10 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 4 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′1 of the first glider after the collision (positive in its original direction).

m1 = 3 kgm2 = 4 kgv1 = 10 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
5.Hard
24 m/s20 m/s

A 0.25 kg ball hits a wall at 24 m/s and bounces straight back at 20 m/s. The contact lasts 5 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.

m = 0.25 kgvin = 24 m/svout = 20 m/sΔt = 5 ms
J = N·s
6.Hard
28 m/s10 m/s

A 0.2 kg ball hits a wall at 28 m/s and bounces straight back at 10 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.2 kgvin = 28 m/svout = 10 m/sΔt = 40 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 1.636 m/s
  2. 2. V = 1.867 m/s
  3. 3. v′2 = 0.8 m/s
  4. 4. v′1 = −1.429 m/s
  5. 5. J = 11 N·s
  6. 6. Favg = 190 N

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