1.Easy
A 500 kg car moving at 22 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 = 500 kgv1 = 22 m/sm2 = 500 kgv2 = 0 m/s
v′ = m/s
Momentum & collisions worksheet with answers
2.Easy
A 1100 kg car moving at 7 m/s collides head-on with a 2000 kg car moving at 2 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 = 1100 kgv1 = 7 m/sm2 = 2000 kgv2 = −2 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
A 2 kg glider moving at 4 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′1 of the first glider after the collision (positive in its original direction).
m1 = 2 kgm2 = 0.5 kgv1 = 4 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
4.Medium
A 5 kg glider moving at 4 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 = 5 kgm2 = 4.5 kgv1 = 4 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
A 20 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 1 kg block hanging from light strings 1.7 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 = 20 gM = 1 kgL = 1.7 mθ = 30°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
A 0.5 kg ball hits a wall at 27 m/s and bounces straight back at 7 m/s. The contact lasts 5 ms. Find the magnitude of the impulse J the wall gives the ball.
m = 0.5 kgvin = 27 m/svout = 7 m/sΔt = 5 ms
J = N·s
Answer key
- 1. v′ = 11 m/s
- 2. v′ = 1.194 m/s
- 3. v′1 = 2.4 m/s
- 4. v′2 = 4.211 m/s
- 5. v = 107.8 m/s
- 6. J = 17 N·s
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