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 kg400 m/sV = ?

A 3 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 15 g bullet at 400 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 3 kgm = 15 gv = 400 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
1000 kg24 m/s500 kg

A 1000 kg car moving at 24 m/s runs into a stationary 500 kg car. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).

m1 = 1000 kgv1 = 24 m/sm2 = 500 kgv2 = 0 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
0.5 kg10 m/s1.5 kg

A 0.5 kg glider moving at 10 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 1.5 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 = 0.5 kgm2 = 1.5 kgv1 = 10 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
4.Medium
4.5 kgv = ?12 gh = 14 cm

A 12 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 4.5 kg wooden block hanging on light strings, and stays inside it. The block swings up until it is 14 cm higher than at the start. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 12 gM = 4.5 kgh = 14 cmg = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
5.Hard
26 m/s17 m/s

A 0.15 kg ball hits a wall at 26 m/s and bounces straight back at 17 m/s. The contact lasts 25 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.15 kgvin = 26 m/svout = 17 m/sΔt = 25 ms
Favg = N
6.Hard
18 m/s18 m/s

A 0.3 kg ball hits a wall at 18 m/s and bounces straight back at 18 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.3 kgvin = 18 m/svout = 18 m/sΔt = 40 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 2 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 16 m/s
  3. 3. v′1 = −5 m/s
  4. 4. v = 623.2 m/s
  5. 5. Favg = 258 N
  6. 6. Favg = 270 N

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