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 kg700 m/sV = ?

A 5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 15 g bullet at 700 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5 kgm = 15 gv = 700 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
5.5 kg300 m/sV = ?

A 5.5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 12 g bullet at 300 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5.5 kgm = 12 gv = 300 m/s
V = m/s
3.Medium
1500 kg7 m/s2000 kg

A 1500 kg car moving at 7 m/s runs into a stationary 2000 kg car and the two lock together. How much kinetic energy ΔK is lost in the collision?

m1 = 1500 kgv1 = 7 m/sm2 = 2000 kgv2 = 0
ΔK = J
4.Medium
800 kg17 m/s900 kg

An 800 kg car moving at 17 m/s runs into a stationary 900 kg car and the two lock together. What percentage ΔK/K of the original kinetic energy is lost?

m1 = 800 kgv1 = 17 m/sm2 = 900 kgv2 = 0
ΔK/K = %
5.Hard
30 m/s12 m/s

A 0.45 kg ball hits a wall at 30 m/s and bounces straight back at 12 m/s. The contact lasts 5 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.

m = 0.45 kgvin = 30 m/svout = 12 m/sΔt = 5 ms
J = N·s
6.Hard
1 kgv = ?12 g40°L = 1.2 m

A 12 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 1 kg block hanging from light strings 1.2 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 40° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 12 gM = 1 kgL = 1.2 mθ = 40°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 2.1 m/s
  2. 2. V = 0.6545 m/s
  3. 3. ΔK = 21000 J
  4. 4. ΔK/K = 52.94 %
  5. 5. J = 18.9 N·s
  6. 6. v = 197.9 m/s

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