1.Easy
A 1900 kg car moving at 24 m/s runs into a stationary 900 kg car. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).
m1 = 1900 kgv1 = 24 m/sm2 = 900 kgv2 = 0 m/s
v′ = m/s
Momentum & collisions worksheet with answers
2.Easy
A 1200 kg car moving at 15 m/s collides head-on with a 1300 kg car moving at 12 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 = 1200 kgv1 = 15 m/sm2 = 1300 kgv2 = −12 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
A 20 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 3.5 kg wooden block hanging on light strings, and stays inside it. The block swings up until it is 18 cm higher than at the start. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.
m = 20 gM = 3.5 kgh = 18 cmg = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
4.Medium
A 3 kg glider moving at 11 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 1 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 = 3 kgm2 = 1 kgv1 = 11 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
5.Hard
A 15 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 3 kg block hanging from light strings 1.5 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 35° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.
m = 15 gM = 3 kgL = 1.5 mθ = 35°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
A 0.45 kg ball hits a wall at 25 m/s and bounces straight back at 4 m/s. The contact lasts 5 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.
m = 0.45 kgvin = 25 m/svout = 4 m/sΔt = 5 ms
Favg = N
Answer key
- 1. v′ = 16.29 m/s
- 2. v′ = 0.96 m/s
- 3. v = 330.7 m/s
- 4. v′1 = 5.5 m/s
- 5. v = 463.7 m/s
- 6. Favg = 2610 N
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