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
6 kg400 m/sV = ?

A 6 kg rifle, free to move, fires an 8 g bullet at 400 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 6 kgm = 8 gv = 400 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
2000 kg19 m/s800 kg

A 2000 kg car moving at 19 m/s runs into a stationary 800 kg car. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).

m1 = 2000 kgv1 = 19 m/sm2 = 800 kgv2 = 0 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
4 kg4 m/s5 kg

A 4 kg glider moving at 4 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 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 = 4 kgm2 = 5 kgv1 = 4 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
4.Medium
2.5 kg7 m/s2 kg

A 2.5 kg glider moving at 7 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 2 kg glider at rest on a frictionless track. Find the velocity v′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 2.5 kgm2 = 2 kgv1 = 7 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
800 kg14 m/s1200 kg11 m/sv′ = ?

At a crossing an 800 kg car travelling east at 14 m/s collides with a 1200 kg car travelling north at 11 m/s. The cars lock together. Find the speed v′ of the wreck just after the collision.

m1 = 800 kgv1 = 14 m/s (E)m2 = 1200 kgv2 = 11 m/s (N)
v′ = m/s
6.Hard
10 m/s7 m/s

A 0.3 kg ball hits a wall at 10 m/s and bounces straight back at 7 m/s. The contact lasts 20 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.3 kgvin = 10 m/svout = 7 m/sΔt = 20 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 0.5333 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = 13.57 m/s
  3. 3. v′1 = −0.4444 m/s
  4. 4. v′2 = 7.778 m/s
  5. 5. v′ = 8.656 m/s
  6. 6. Favg = 255 N

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