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 5 g bullet at 550 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.

M = 5 kgm = 5 gv = 550 m/s

V = m/s

2.Easy

A 500 kg car moving at 17 m/s runs into a stationary 1900 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 = 17 m/sm₂ = 1900 kgv₂ = 0 m/s

v′ = m/s

3.Medium

A 20 g bullet is fired horizontally into a 5 kg wooden block hanging on light strings, and stays inside it. The block swings up until it is 24 cm higher than at the start. Use g = 9.81 m/s². Find the speed v of the bullet before impact.

m = 20 gM = 5 kgh = 24 cmg = 9.81 m/s²

v = m/s

4.Medium

A 3 kg glider moving at 7 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′₂ of the second glider after the collision.

m₁ = 3 kgm₂ = 0.5 kgv₁ = 7 m/sv₂ = 0

v′₂ = m/s

5.Hard

A 0.6 kg ball hits a wall at 16 m/s and bounces straight back at 14 m/s. The contact lasts 40 ms. Find the average force F_avg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.6 kgv_in = 16 m/sv_out = 14 m/sΔt = 40 ms

F_avg = N

6.Hard

A 0.6 kg ball hits a wall at 17 m/s and bounces straight back at 16 m/s. The contact lasts 50 ms. Find the average force F_avg of the wall on the ball.

m = 0.6 kgv_in = 17 m/sv_out = 16 m/sΔt = 50 ms

F_avg = N

Answer key

1. V = 0.55 m/s
2. v′ = 3.542 m/s
3. v = 544.7 m/s
4. v′₂ = 12 m/s
5. F_avg = 450 N
6. F_avg = 396 N

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