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.

New worksheetPractise online with hints

For teachers: free to print, copy and use in class. Every new worksheet has new values and its own answer key. A link to ExamProblems on your course page is appreciated.

Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy
5 kg750 m/sV = ?

A 5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 5 g bullet at 750 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5 kgm = 5 gv = 750 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
800 kg5 m/s600 kg5 m/s

An 800 kg car moving at 5 m/s collides head-on with a 600 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 = 800 kgv1 = 5 m/sm2 = 600 kgv2 = −5 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
500 kg9 m/s1900 kg

A 500 kg car moving at 9 m/s runs into a stationary 1900 kg car and the two lock together. How much kinetic energy ΔK is lost in the collision?

m1 = 500 kgv1 = 9 m/sm2 = 1900 kgv2 = 0
ΔK = J
4.Medium
1 kg10 m/s2 kg

A 1 kg glider moving at 10 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 = 10 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
900 kg24 m/s1100 kg13 m/sθ = ?

At a crossing a 900 kg car travelling east at 24 m/s collides with a 1100 kg car travelling north at 13 m/s. The cars lock together. Find the direction θ of the wreck just after the collision, measured north of east.

m1 = 900 kgv1 = 24 m/s (E)m2 = 1100 kgv2 = 13 m/s (N)
θ = °
6.Hard
1700 kgv1​ = ?1800 kg

A 1700 kg car runs into a parked 1800 kg car. The wrecks lock together and skid 14 m before stopping. The coefficient of kinetic friction between tyres and road is 0.7. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v1 of the first car just before the collision.

m1 = 1700 kgm2 = 1800 kgd = 14 mμ = 0.7g = 9.81 m/s²
v1 = m/s

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 0.75 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 0.7143 m/s
  3. 3. ΔK = 16031 J
  4. 4. v′2 = 6.667 m/s
  5. 5. θ = 33.51 °
  6. 6. v1 = 28.55 m/s

Full step-by-step solutions: practise this topic on examproblems.com.