1.Easy
A 1400 kg car moving at 14 m/s runs into a stationary 1600 kg car. The cars lock together. Find their common velocity v′ just after the collision (positive in the first car’s direction).
m1 = 1400 kgv1 = 14 m/sm2 = 1600 kgv2 = 0 m/s
v′ = m/s
Momentum & collisions worksheet with answers
2.Easy
A 5.5 kg rifle, free to move, fires a 12 g bullet at 550 m/s. Both start at rest. Find the recoil speed V of the rifle.
M = 5.5 kgm = 12 gv = 550 m/s
V = m/s
3.Medium
A 3 kg glider moving at 7 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 = 3 kgm2 = 5 kgv1 = 7 m/sv2 = 0
v′1 = m/s
4.Medium
A 10 kg projectile moving horizontally at 20 m/s explodes into two fragments that move along the same line. The 7 kg fragment continues forwards at 27 m/s. Find the velocity v′2 of the 3 kg fragment (positive in the original direction).
M = 10 kgu = 20 m/sm1 = 7 kgv′1 = 27 m/sm2 = 3 kg
v′2 = m/s
5.Hard
At a crossing a 1600 kg car travelling east at 16 m/s collides with a 2000 kg car travelling north at 22 m/s. The cars lock together. Find the speed v′ of the wreck just after the collision.
m1 = 1600 kgv1 = 16 m/s (E)m2 = 2000 kgv2 = 22 m/s (N)
v′ = m/s
6.Hard
At a crossing a 1300 kg car travelling east at 25 m/s collides with a 1300 kg car travelling north at 16 m/s. The cars lock together. Find the direction θ of the wreck just after the collision, measured north of east.
m1 = 1300 kgv1 = 25 m/s (E)m2 = 1300 kgv2 = 16 m/s (N)
θ = °
Answer key
- 1. v′ = 6.533 m/s
- 2. V = 1.2 m/s
- 3. v′1 = −1.75 m/s
- 4. v′2 = 3.667 m/s
- 5. v′ = 14.14 m/s
- 6. θ = 32.62 °
Full step-by-step solutions: practise this topic on examproblems.com.