Sph 4U Impulse and Momentum Practice

True or False

Indicate whether the corresponding statement is true (T) or false (F).

1. The impulse you give to a child on a swing to start the child moving is equal in magnitude, but
opposite in direction, to the child's change in momentum.

Refer to Figure 1 for questions 2 to 4.

2. Since the objects move together the total momentum before the collision is positive, and the total
momentum after the collision is negative.

3. For this collision, if the change in momentum of glider 1 is -1.4 kg•m/s [W], then the change in
momentum of glider 2 is 1.4 kg•m/s [W].

4. At the exact midpoint of the collision, both the kinetic energy and the momentum of the system are
zero.

Figure 1

In this isolated system,

two gliders (m1 = m2) on
an air track move
toward each other at
equal speed, collide,
and then move away
from each other at
equal speed. (for
questions 2 to 4)

5. If a small car of mass mS and speed VS has a momentum equal in magnitude to a large car of mass mB
and speed vB, then the two cars have equal kinetic energies.

6. In an interaction involving an isolated system, it is impossible for the final kinetic energy to be greater
than the initial kinetic energy.
Multiple Choice

Choose the letter corresponding to the best choice.

8. A baseball of mass m leaves a pitching machine of mass M (where M includes the mass of the ball m)
with a speed v. The recoil speed of the machine after shooting the baseball is
2𝑚𝑣 𝑚𝑣 𝑚𝑣 𝑚𝑣
(a)(𝑀−𝑚)(b) 𝑀 (c)(𝑀+𝑚) (d)(𝑀−𝑚) (e) 0

9. If an arrow's speed and mass are both doubled, then its momentum and kinetic energy are
respectively increased by factors of

(a) 2 and 2 (b) 2 and 4 (c)`4 and 4 (d) 4 and 8 (e) 8 and 8

10. The area under the line on a force-time graph indicates

(a) the impulse

(b) the change in momentum

(c) the product of the average force and the time interval during which that force is applied

(d) all of these

(e) none of these

11. When you catch a fast-moving baseball, your hand hurts less if you move it in the same direction as
the ball because
(a) the change in momentum in the ball is less

(b) the change in kinetic energy of the ball is less

(c) the time interval of the interaction is less

(d) the time interval of the interaction is greater

(e) the impulse on the ball is greater

12. The force applied by an apple hitting the ground depends on:

(a) whether or not the apple bounces

(b) the time interval of the impact with the ground

(c) the apple's maximum speed just before impact

(d) the air resistance acting on the apple as it falls

(e) all of these

13. In an inelastic collision involving two interactingobjects, the final kinetic energy of the system

(a) can be equal to the initial kinetic energy of thesystem

(b) is always less than or equal to the initial kinetic energy of the system

(c) is always greater than or equal to the initial kinetic energy of the system

(d) is always less than the initial kinetic energy of thesystem

(e) can be greater than the initial kinetic energy of the-system

14. When you are jogging and you increase your kinetic , energy by a factor of 2, then your momentum
1
(a) changes by a factor of 2

(b) increases by a factor of √2

(c) increases by a factor of 2

(d) increases by a factor of 4

(e) increases by an amount that cannot be determined with the information given

15. A rubber bullet R and a metal bullet M of equal mass strike a test target T with the same speed. The
metal bullet penetrates the target and comes to rest inside it, while the rubber bullet bounces off the
target. Which statement is true?

(a) M and R exert the same impulse on T.

(b) M exerts a greater impulse on T than R does.

(c) R exerts a greater impulse on T than M does.

(d) The magnitudes of the change in momentum ofM and R are equal.

(e) none of these

16. Two protons approach one another in a straight line with equal speeds. Eventually, they repel, and
move apart with equal speeds in the same straight line. At the instant of minimum separation between
the particles

(a) the total momentum of the interacting particles drops to zero, but the total energy of the system
remains constant

(b) both the total momentum and the total energy drop to zero

(c) the total momentum of the system is at the maximum value, but the total energy drops to zero

(d) both the total momentum and the total energy of the system are at their maximum values

(e) both the total momentum and the total energy of the system are reduced, but not to zero

17. A ball bounces off the edge of a pool table as in Figure 2. The speeds before and after the bounce are
essentially equal. Which of the five vectors in Figure 2 represent the direction of the impulse by the
table on the ball?

Figure 2

18. A glider of mass m travels leftward on a frictionless air track with a speed v. It collides head-on in a
completely inelastic collision with a glider that has twice its mass and half its speed moving to the right.
After the collision, the combined speed of the glider system is
𝑣 𝑣
(a) 0 (b)3 (c)2 (d)2𝑣 (e) 𝑣
1. A tennis player smashes .a serve so that the racquet is in contact with the ball for 0.055 s, giving it an
impulse of 2.5 N • S. What average force was applied during this time?

2. A hockey player gives a stationary 175 g hockey puck an impulse of 6.3 N • s. At what velocity will the
puck move toward the goal?

3. Determine the initial speed of the bullet if the height reached by the block, due to the impact,is
10 cm. (mbullet = 0.05kg and Mblock = 10kg)

4. Three carts undergo a series of 100% inelastic collisions. Determine the speed of the three boxes at
position B. All of the information is included in the diagram. Assume a frictionless environment.