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Momentum Booklet

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Momentum notes https://vimeo.com/68235947

Momentum Questions
I. A bullet of mass 8g flies with a speed of 700 m/s, what is its momentum?

II. A motorbike of mass 250kg has a momentum of 7500 kgm/s, what is the speed at which the motorbike is
travelling?

III. A truck travelling at 15 m/s has a momentum of 300,000kgm/s, what is the mass of the truck?

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Conservation of Momentum Examples

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Conservation of Momentum Questions
1. In a car crash a car of mass 800kg car travelling at 20m/s collides in to a second car of mass 1200kg which is
initially stationary. After the collision the two cars stick together and move with a velocity, v.

Initially Finally
v

20 m/s Stationary

800kg 1200 kg
a. What is the initial total momentum?

b. What is the total mass of the two cars when stuck together?

c. Work out the velocity at which the two cars move.

2. In a shunting yard a locomotive of mass 90,000kg, travelling at 1.2 m/s, runs into a coach of mass 30,000kg
which is initially stationary. The locomotive and carriage couple and move off together at a speed v.
Initially
a. What is the initial total
momentum?
1.2 m/s Stationary

90,000kg 30,000 kg

Finally
b. What is the final total momentum, in
terms of the velocity of the
carriages? v

c. What is the final velocity of the locomotive and carriage?

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3. In a game of snooker the white ball of mass 0.1kg is travelling at 1.3m/s when it hits a red ball, which is
stationary and also has a mass of 0.1kg. After the collision the white ball is stationary, and the red ball starts to
move at a velocity v.

Initially Finally

1.3 m/s Stationary Stationary v

0.1 kg 0.1 kg 0.1 kg 0.1kg

a. (i) What is the initial momentum of the white ball?

(ii) What is the initial momentum of the red ball?

(iii) What is the initial total momentum?

b. (i) What is the final momentum of the white ball?

(ii) What is the final momentum of the red ball?

c. What do we know about the total initial and final momentum, and why?

d. What is the final velocity, v, of the red ball?

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4. A van and car are involved in a crash. Initially the van is travelling at 8 m/s and the car is stationary. After the
collision the van continues to move, but with a velocity of the 4 m/s, and the car is shunted forward at a
velocity, v. The mass of the van is 2000kg and the mass of the car is 1500kg.

Initially Finally

8 m/s Stationary 4 m/s

2000kg 1500 kg

a. By how much does the momentum of the van decrease during the collision?

b. Why must the momentum of the car increase by the same amount?

c. So what is the final momentum of the car?

d. Work out the velocity, v, of the car after the collision.

5. An elastic collision is said to be a collision where the total KE after a collision is the same as the KE before the
collision. Remember that KE = ½ mv2.

a. What happens to some of the initial kinetic energy in a collision which is not elastic?

b. Calculate the total initial and final KE for question 2. Is the collision elastic or inelastic?

c. Calculate the total initial and final KE for question 3. Is the collision elastic or inelastic?

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Collisions and Explosions Past Paper Questions
1. The picture shows luggage which has been
loaded onto a conveyor belt.

Each piece of luggage has a different mass.

Mass of A = 22 kg mass of B = l2 kg mass of C = 15 kg

(a) (i) What is the momentum of the luggage before the conveyor belt starts to move?

............................................................................................

Give a reason for your answer.

............................................................................................

[2]

(ii) When the conveyor belt is switched on the luggage moves with a constant speed. Which
piece of luggage A, B or C has the most momentum?

............................................................................................

Give a reason for your answer.

............................................................................................

[2]

(iii) At one point the conveyor belt turns left. The luggage on the belt continues to move at a
constant speed.

Does the momentum of the luggage change as it

turns left with the conveyor belt?

................................................................................

Give a reason for your answer.

............................................................................................

............................................................................................

[2]

(b) Draw a circle around the unit which can be used to measure momentum.

J/s kg m/s Nm

[1] Total 7 marks

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2. (a) The diagram shows two laboratory trolleys which collide and stick together.

B e f o re c o llis io n A f te r c o llis io n
P in C o rk

C D C D

C D C and D
d ire c tio n o f is n o t m o v in g m o v e to g e th e r
m ovem ent

(i) What is the momentum of trolley D before the collision? Give a reason for your answer.

............................................................................................

............................................................................................

............................................................................................

[2]

(ii) In the sentence below, cross out in the box the two lines that are not correct.

b ig g e r th a n
The momentum of trolley D before the collision is th e sa m e a s
s m a lle r th a n

its momentum after the collision.

[1]

(iii) Draw on the diagram above an arrow to show the direction in which both C and D move
after the collision.

[1]

1. The lorry, the car and the motor cycle are travelling along a straight road in the direction shown.

All three vehicles are travelling at the same speed.

overhead view

(a) Which word is used to describe the speed of an object in a particular direction?

....................................................................................................................................(1)

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 (b) Which of the three vehicles will have the greatest momentum?

....................................................................................................................................

Explain your answer

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................(4)

(c) Complete the sentences.

(i) When a vehicle has a steady speed the frictional forces ..................................
the driving force.

(ii) Momentum has both .................................................... and direction. (2)

(Total 7 marks)

2. (a) How can the momentum of an object be calculated?

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................(2)

(b) In a collision momentum is always conserved. What does this mean?

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................(2)

(c) Two trolleys are placed on a frictionless runway as shown in the diagram below. Trolley A has a
protruding pin, and trolley B is fitted with a piece of soft cork so that the trolleys will stick
together after colliding.

pin cork

A B

frictionless runway

Trolley A has a mass of 2 kg, and trolley B has a mass of 1 kg. Trolley B is stationary. Trolley A
strikes trolley B at a speed of 6 m/s. Both trolleys then move to the right together.

(i) Calculate the speed at which trolleys A and B jointly move after the collision.
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 ...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................(4)

(ii) Calculate the change in kinetic energy which occurs during the collision.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................(4)

(Total 12 marks)

3. The drawing below shows two railway trucks A and B, moving in the same direction. Truck A, of mass
1500 kg, is initially moving at a speed of 8 m/s. Truck B, of mass 2000 kg, is initially moving at a speed of
1 m/s.

Truck A catches up and collides with truck B. The two trucks

become coupled together as shown in the diagram.

(a) Calculate:

(i) the initial momentum of truck A.

.................................................................................... Truck A Truck B

.......................................................................kg m/s

(ii) the initial momentum of truck B.

...........................................................................................................................

......................................................... momentum ................................... kg m/s

(iii) the total momentum of the trucks before the collision.

...........................................................................................................................

................................................. total momentum ................................... kg m/s (6)

(b) Calculate the speed of the coupled trucks after the collision.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................(5)

(c) (i) How is the total kinetic energy of the trucks changed as a result of the collision?
A calculated answer is not needed for full marks.
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 ...........................................................................................................................

(ii) State an energy transfer which accounts for part of the change in the total kinetic energy of
the trucks during the collision.

...........................................................................................................................

(iii) What would have been the effect on the change of total kinetic energy of the trucks if the
collision had been more
elastic?.................................................................................................................(3)(Total 14
marks)

1. The diagram below shows two balls on the bowling green. Ball A is moving with a velocity of 4 m/s, and is
about to collide with ball B which is stationary. Both balls have a mass of 1.5 kg.

After the collision both balls move to the right

but the velocity of A is now 1 m/s.

(a) (i) Calculate the momentum of ball A just before the collision.

............................................................................................kg m/s [1]

(ii) What is the total momentum of balls A and B after the collision?

............................................................................................kg m/s [1]

(iii) Calculate the momentum of ball A just after the collision.

............................................................................................kg m/s [1]

(iv) Calculate the momentum of ball B just after the collision.

............................................................................................kg m/s [1]

(v) Calculate the velocity of ball B just after the collision.

............................................................................................m/s [1]

Total 5 marks

Answers
2i) 4 ii) 12 3ai) 12000 ii) 2000 iii) 14000 b) 4 1ai) 6 ii) 6 iii) 1.5 iv) 4.5 v) 3

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Impulse notes
https://vimeo.com/69370702

What is the relationship between Force, Mass and Acceleration?

What is acceleration in terms of velocity?

Can you show that F = Change in momentum/time?

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Force and Momentum Past Paper Questions
1. (a) The diagram shows one type of padded body protector which may be worn by a horse
rider.

If the rider falls off the horse, the body protector reduces the chance of
the rider being injured. Use the idea of momentum to explain why.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

(3)

(Total 3 marks)

2. (a) What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

(2)

(b) The diagram shows a simplified aircraft jet engine.

Adapted from GCSE Physics by Tom Duncan. John Murray (Publishers) Ltd.

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 (a) During flight, air enters the engine at 175 m/s and leaves at 475 m/s. A forward thrust of
105 kN is produced.

Use the following equation to calculate the mass of air passing through the engine every
second. (Ignore the mass of the burned fuel.)

change in momentum
force 
time

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

Mass of air = ............................................... kg

(2)

(Total 4 marks)

3. The diagram shows a child on a playground swing.

The playground has a rubber safety surface.

(a) The child, with a mass of 35 kg, falls off the

swing and hits the ground at a speed of 6 m/s.

(i) Use the equation in the box to calculate

the momentum of the child as it hits the ground.

momentum = mass × velocity

Show clearly how you work out your answer and give the unit.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

Momentum = ............................................................

(3)

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 (ii) After hitting the ground, the child slows down and stops in 0.25 s.
Use the equation in the box to calculate the force exerted by the ground on the
child.

change in momentum
force =
time taken for the change

Show clearly how you work out your answer.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

Force = ............................................................ N

(2)

(b) The diagram shows the type of rubber tile used to cover the playground surface.

Explain how the rubber tiles reduce the risk of children being seriously injured when they
fall off the playground equipment.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

(3)

(c) The ‘critical fall height’ is the height that a child can fall and not be expected to sustain a
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 life-threatening head injury.
A new type of tile, made in a range of different thicknesses, was tested in a laboratory
using test dummies and the ‘critical fall height’ measured. Only one test was completed
on each tile.

The results are shown in the graph.

The ‘critical fall height’ for playground equipment varies from 0.5 m to 3.0 m.

Suggest two reasons why more tests are needed before this new type of tile can be used
in a playground.

1 ..................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

2 ..................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

(2)

(d) Developments in technology allow manufacturers to make rubber tiles from scrap car
tyres.

Suggest why this process may benefit the environment.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

(1)

(Total 11 marks)

4. (a) The diagram shows a hammer which is just about to drive a nail into a block of wood.

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 The mass of the hammer is 0.75 kg and its velocity, just before it hits the
nail, is 15.0 m/s downward. After hitting the nail, the hammer remains in
contact with it for 0.1 s. After this time both the hammer and the nail have
stopped moving.

(i) Write down the equation, in words, which you need to use to
calculate momentum.

...........................................................................................................................

(1)

(ii) What is the momentum of the hammer just before it hits the nail?

Show how you work out your answer and give the units and direction.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

Momentum = ...................................................................

(3)

(iii) What is the change in momentum of the hammer during the time it is in contact
with the nail?

...........................................................................................................................

(1)

(iv) Write down an equation which connects change in momentum, force and time.

...........................................................................................................................

(1)

v) Calculate the force applied by the hammer to the nail.

Show how you work out your answer and give the unit.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

Force = ............................................................................(3)

(b) A magazine article states that:

“Wearing a seat belt can save your life in a car crash.”

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Use your understanding of momentum to explain how this is correct.

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

(4)

(Total 13 marks)

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Newton’s Third Law Notes https://goo.gl/7NxZmK

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Across Down

3. Vehicle used to get into space 1. Equals mass times velocity

5. An area of a car designed to compress 2. Do this to a body to increase

8. Increase this in a collision to its momentum

reduce force 4. Interaction where momentum is

9. Velocity in m/s if momentum is conserved

18kg m/s and mass 6kg 6. Decreases if the rate of change

10. This applies to momentum of momentum is decreased

in collisions 7. Two or more bodies moving

12. Always goes with action apart rapidly

14. Equals momentum divided by velocity 10. A difference

16. Came up with laws of motion 11. Equals momentum divided by mass

20. Action and reaction must be 13. Opposite to reaction

this in direction 15. Increased by the use of crumple

21. Momentum in kg m/s if mass is 3kg zones in cars

and velocity 4m/s 17. Mass in kg if momentum is 32kg m/s

and velocity 4m/s

18. Not first or second

19. Force in N if momentum change of

80kgm/s occurs in 20s

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 Momentum Learning Checklist

(a) Units
Students should:
1.1 use the following units: kilogram (kg), metre (m), metre/second (m/s), metre/second2 (m/s2),
newton (N), second (s) and newton/kilogram (N/kg)
1.2P use the following units: newton metre (Nm), kilogram metre/second (kg m/s)
Learning Objective (with Specification Reference No) I can do I need
this help with
this
1.25P know and use the relationship between momentum, mass and
velocity: momentum = mass × velocity
p=m×v
1.26P use the idea of momentum to explain safety features
1.27P use the conservation of momentum to calculate the mass,
velocity or momentum of objects
1.28P use the relationship between force, change in momentum and
time taken:

1.29P demonstrate an understanding of Newton’s third law

End of unit on momentum

Extension – look at these paths or “tracks” of particles passing through a bubble chamber at a Particle Physics
experiment. Particles with charge, such as an electron, would leave a line of bubbles, just like an aeroplane
leaves vapour trails in the sky. Neutral particles (with no charge), such as neutrons, pass through the chamber
without leaving a track, but we can infer where they
existed. The diagram on the right picks out an
interesting event from the mass of lines on the left
picture. The dashed line shows a neutral Lamba
particle (which is not seen on the left picture) which
then “decays” into a proton (denoted p) and a pion
(denoted π-). From what you know about
momentum, can you explain why a V shape is
formed by the daughter particles?

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