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
3 kg450 m/sV = ?

A 3 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 15 g bullet at 450 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 3 kgm = 15 gv = 450 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
1800 kg24 m/s2000 kg8 m/s

A 1800 kg car moving at 24 m/s collides head-on with a 2000 kg car moving at 8 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 = 1800 kgv1 = 24 m/sm2 = 2000 kgv2 = −8 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
2 kg3 m/s4.5 kg

A 2 kg glider moving at 3 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 4.5 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 2 kgm2 = 4.5 kgv1 = 3 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
4.Medium
3 kg3 m/s0.5 kg

A 3 kg glider moving at 3 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 0.5 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 3 kgm2 = 0.5 kgv1 = 3 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
1300 kgv1​ = ?1600 kg

A 1300 kg car runs into a parked 1600 kg car. The wrecks lock together and skid 20 m before stopping. The coefficient of kinetic friction between tyres and road is 0.6. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v1 of the first car just before the collision.

m1 = 1300 kgm2 = 1600 kgd = 20 mμ = 0.6g = 9.81 m/s²
v1 = m/s
6.Hard
9 m/s14 m/s

A 0.6 kg ball hits a wall at 9 m/s and bounces straight back at 14 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.6 kgvin = 9 m/svout = 14 m/sΔt = 40 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 2.25 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 7.158 m/s
  3. 3. v′2 = 1.846 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = 5.143 m/s
  5. 5. v1 = 34.23 m/s
  6. 6. Favg = 345 N

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