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

A 0.5 kg trolley moving at 2.5 m/s runs into a 4 kg trolley at rest. After the collision the first trolley is at rest. Find the velocity v′₂ of the second trolley.

m₁ = 0.5 kgv₁ = 2.5 m/sm₂ = 4 kgv′₁ = 0 m/s

v′₂ = m/s

2.Easy

A 5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 10 g bullet at 900 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5 kgm = 10 gv = 900 m/s

V = m/s

3.Medium

A 5 kg glider moving at 7 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 3.5 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′₂ of the second glider after the collision.

m₁ = 5 kgm₂ = 3.5 kgv₁ = 7 m/sv₂ = 0

v′₂ = m/s

4.Medium

A 1000 kg car moving at 18 m/s runs into a stationary 1300 kg car and the two lock together. How much kinetic energy ΔK is lost in the collision?

m₁ = 1000 kgv₁ = 18 m/sm₂ = 1300 kgv₂ = 0

ΔK = J

5.Hard

A 20 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 1 kg block hanging from light strings 1.7 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 30° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 20 gM = 1 kgL = 1.7 mθ = 30°g = 9.81 m/s²

v = m/s

6.Hard

A 0.3 kg ball hits a wall at 30 m/s and bounces straight back at 8 m/s. The contact lasts 10 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.

m = 0.3 kgv_in = 30 m/sv_out = 8 m/sΔt = 10 ms

J = N·s

Answer key

1. v′₂ = 0.3125 m/s
2. V = 1.8 m/s
3. v′₂ = 8.235 m/s
4. ΔK = 91565 J
5. v = 107.8 m/s
6. J = 11.4 N·s

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