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 5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 4 g bullet at 800 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5 kgm = 4 gv = 800 m/s

V = m/s

2.Easy

A 1400 kg car moving at 19 m/s collides head-on with a 900 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 = 1400 kgv₁ = 19 m/sm₂ = 900 kgv₂ = −8 m/s

v′ = m/s

3.Medium

A 1700 kg car moving at 19 m/s runs into a stationary 1900 kg car and the two lock together. How much kinetic energy ΔK is lost in the collision?

m₁ = 1700 kgv₁ = 19 m/sm₂ = 1900 kgv₂ = 0

ΔK = J

4.Medium

A 600 kg car moving at 16 m/s runs into a stationary 1700 kg car and the two lock together. How much kinetic energy ΔK is lost in the collision?

m₁ = 600 kgv₁ = 16 m/sm₂ = 1700 kgv₂ = 0

ΔK = J

5.Hard

A 10 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 4.5 kg block hanging from light strings 0.5 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 = 10 gM = 4.5 kgL = 0.5 mθ = 30°g = 9.81 m/s²

v = m/s

6.Hard

A 0.1 kg ball hits a wall at 23 m/s and bounces straight back at 20 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force F_avg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.1 kgv_in = 23 m/sv_out = 20 m/sΔt = 40 ms

F_avg = N

Answer key

1. V = 0.64 m/s
2. v′ = 8.435 m/s
3. ΔK = 161949 J
4. ΔK = 56765 J
5. v = 517 m/s
6. F_avg = 107.5 N

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