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
4.5 kg700 m/sV = ?

A 4.5 kg rifle, free to move, fires an 8 g bullet at 700 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 4.5 kgm = 8 gv = 700 m/s
V = m/s
2.Easy
2000 kg8 m/s1900 kg9 m/s

A 2000 kg car moving at 8 m/s collides head-on with a 1900 kg car moving at 9 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 = 2000 kgv1 = 8 m/sm2 = 1900 kgv2 = −9 m/s
v′ = m/s
3.Medium
2 kg3 m/s1.5 kg

A 2 kg glider moving at 3 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′2 of the second glider after the collision.

m1 = 2 kgm2 = 1.5 kgv1 = 3 m/sv2 = 0
v′2 = m/s
4.Medium
4 kg11 m/s2 kg

A 4 kg glider moving at 11 m/s makes a perfectly elastic head-on collision with a 2 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 = 2 kgv1 = 11 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
5.Hard
1 kgv = ?20 g20°L = 0.9 m

A 20 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 1 kg block hanging from light strings 0.9 m long, and stays in it. The strings swing out to a largest angle of 20° from the vertical. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 20 gM = 1 kgL = 0.9 mθ = 20°g = 9.81 m/s²
v = m/s
6.Hard
28 m/s13 m/s

A 0.2 kg ball hits a wall at 28 m/s and bounces straight back at 13 m/s. The contact lasts 25 ms. Find the average force Favg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.2 kgvin = 28 m/svout = 13 m/sΔt = 25 ms
Favg = N

Answer key

  1. 1. V = 1.244 m/s
  2. 2. v′ = −0.2821 m/s
  3. 3. v′2 = 3.429 m/s
  4. 4. v′1 = 3.667 m/s
  5. 5. v = 52.63 m/s
  6. 6. Favg = 328 N

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