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
1600 kg24 m/s500 kg7 m/s

A 1600 kg car moving at 24 m/s collides head-on with a 500 kg car moving at 7 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 = 1600 kgv1 = 24 m/sm2 = 500 kgv2 = −7 m/s
v′ = m/s
2.Easy
2000 kg6 m/s2000 kg7 m/s

A 2000 kg car moving at 6 m/s collides head-on with a 2000 kg car moving at 7 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 = 6 m/sm2 = 2000 kgv2 = −7 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
4.5 kg9 m/s2 kg

A 4.5 kg glider moving at 9 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 2 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 = 4.5 kgm2 = 2 kgv1 = 9 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
4.Medium
11 kg45 m/s4 kgv′2​ = ?

A 15 kg projectile moving horizontally at 10 m/s explodes into two fragments that move along the same line. The 11 kg fragment continues forwards at 45 m/s. Find the velocity v′2 of the 4 kg fragment (positive in the original direction).

M = 15 kgu = 10 m/sm1 = 11 kgv′1 = 45 m/sm2 = 4 kg
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
4.5 kgv = ?10 g15°L = 0.9 m

A 10 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 4.5 kg block hanging from light strings 0.9 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 15° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 10 gM = 4.5 kgL = 0.9 mθ = 15°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
8 m/s7 m/s

A 0.3 kg ball hits a wall at 8 m/s and bounces straight back at 7 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.

m = 0.3 kgvin = 8 m/svout = 7 m/sΔt = 40 ms
J = N·s

Answer key

  1. 1. v′ = 16.62 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = −0.5 m/s
  3. 3. v′1 = 3.462 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = −86.25 m/s
  5. 5. v = 349.8 m/s
  6. 6. J = 4.5 N·s

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