Chapter 7 HW Packet

Conceptual Questions

1) What is the SI unit of momentum?

A) N∙m
B) N/s
C) N∙s
D) N/m
There are two possibilities—look at the units making up the quantity of momentum.
(1) p = mv so one possible unit is (m/s)(kg) or kgm/s. (2) Because change in
momentum equals force times time or FD t =Dp , the units in multiplying force times
time are Newtons times seconds or N ×s . Officially it is N ×s . Answer C (10-15
seconds)

2) When a cannon fires a cannonball, the cannon will recoil backward because the
A) energy of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.
B) momentum of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.
C) energy of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.
D) momentum of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.
Because momentum is conserved this means that in a system (the cannon and
cannonball would be considered the system), as the initial momentum of the system is
0, any positive momentum gained by the system must be accompanied by an equal
negative momentum of the cannon. Answer B (10-15 seconds)

3) A freight car moves along a frictionless level railroad track at constant speed. The car is open on top. A
large load of coal is suddenly dumped into the car. What happens to the velocity of the car?
A) It increases.
B) It remains the same.
C) It decreases.
D) cannot be determined from the information given
If we consider the system to be the freight car (which has momentum) and the coal
(which has no momentum), the total momentum of the system is that of the freight car.
When the mass of the freight car increases, as total momentum must be conserved,
velocity must decrease. Answer C (10-15 seconds)

4) A child falls sideways off a sled while sledding on frictionless ice. What happens to the velocity of the
sled?
A) It increases.
B) It remains the same.
C) It decreases.
D) cannot be determined from the information given
At the instant the child “falls off” the sled, it still has the same horizontal velocity, and
so, the same momentum it did while on the sled. Therefore, as the child’s momentum
does not change at the instant it leaves the sled, neither does the momentum of the sled
change, and so, the velocity remains the same. Answer B (10-15 seconds)

5) A rubber ball and a lump of putty have equal mass. They are thrown with equal speed against a wall.
The ball bounces back with nearly the same speed with which it hit. The putty sticks to the wall. Which
objects experiences the greater momentum change?
A) the ball
B) the putty
C) Both experience the same momentum change.
D) cannot be determined from the information given
Change in momentum, D p , equals mDv . So, the object with the greatest change in
velocity will have the greatest change in momentum. The lump of putty goes from a
significant positive velocity to a velocity of 0, while the ball goes from a significant
positive velocity to a significant negative velocity that is almost equal to the magnitude
of the positive velocity. So, the “change” of velocity of the ball is almost twice that of
the change of velocity of the putty. Answer A (10-15 seconds)

6) A sailboat of mass m is moving with a momentum p. How would you represent its kinetic energy in
terms of these two quantities?
A) p2/(2m)
B) 1/2 mp2
C) mp
D) mp/2
Don’t be confused—the question wants to represent KE in terms of m and p, so we
have to get rid of v—this means we need to represent v in terms of m and p. Simply
isolate v in the momentum formula and substitute the result into the kinetic energy
2

formula.
v = mp KE = 12 mv 2 = 12 m ( )
p
m
= 12 m ( )=
p2
m 2
p2
2m
Answer A (15-30 seconds)

7) If you pitch a baseball with twice the kinetic energy you gave it in the previous pitch, the magnitude of
its momentum is
A) the same.
B) 1.41 times as much.
C) doubled.
D) 4 times as much.
The change in the magnitude of momentum is proportional to the change in velocity.
If you change the KE by a certain amount, as KE is proportional to the square of the
velocity, the velocity can only change by the square root of the change of KE.
Therefore, if you double the KE you will only change the velocity, and so the
momentum, by the square root of 2. You can either reason this out or if you need to,
2KE 2 (2)KE
KE = 12 mv 2 v= = ( 2)v
write out the relationship: m m
Answer B (reasoning-10-15 seconds; writing out relationship-30-45 seconds)

8) State Newton's second law in terms of momentum.

The rate of change of momentum of an object is equal to the net force applied to it.

9) State the law of conservation of momentum.

The total momentum of an isolated system of objects remains constant.

10) The area under the curve on a Force versus time (F vs. t) graph represents
A) impulse.
B) momentum.
C) work.
D) kinetic energy.
The “area under the curve” of any graphically represented relationship will equal the
product of the quantities graphed on the x and y axes. Therefore, the area under the
curve of a force-time graph equals the product of force and time, which is impulse:
FDt =Dp Answer A (10-15 seconds)

11) Which of the following is an accurate statement?

A) The momentum of a projectile is constant.

B) The momentum of a moving object is constant.
C) If an object is acted on by a non-zero net external force, its momentum will not remain constant.
D) If the kinetic energy of an object is doubled, its momentum will also double.

(A/B) The momentum of any object, projectile or otherwise, can be changed by

changing the mass, the velocity, or both. Many situations in object motion can
accomplish this so it is often the case that the momentum of an object (or projectile) is
not constant. (D) As the kinetic energy is related to the velocity (and so momentum) by
the square of the velocity, doubling the KE will only increase the velocity (and so,
momentum, by 1.41 times) (C) An external net force will cause an acceleration (a
change in velocity over change in time) and so will also change the momentum—this is
also a statement of NSL Answer C (10-15 seconds).

12) A small car meshes with a large truck in a head-on collision. Which of the following statements
concerning the magnitude of the average collision force is correct?
A) The truck experiences the greater average force.
B) The small car experiences the greater average force.
C) The small car and the truck experience the same average force.
D) It is impossible to tell since the masses and velocities are not given.
Don’t let this scenario fool you. This is an action reaction situation so both vehicles
experience the same average force—it’s just that this force will do more damage to the
smaller vehicle than it will to the larger vehicle because of the smaller mass. Answer C
(10-15 seconds)
13) Two equal mass balls (one red and the other blue) are dropped from the same height, and rebound off
the floor. The red ball rebounds to a higher position. Which ball is subjected to the greater magnitude of
impulse during its collision with the floor?
A) It's impossible to tell since the time intervals and forces are unknown.
B) Both balls were subjected to the same magnitude impulse.
C) the blue ball
D) the red ball
Make sure you understand that the relationship we are talking about here is the fact
that a certain amount of impulse ( FD t )gives rise to an equal change in momentum (
Dp or mDv ). The fact that the red ball rebounds to a higher position given that both
balls have the same mass means that its change in momentum was greater than the
change in momentum of the blue ball. Therefore, the red ball must also have been
subjected to a greater magnitude of impulse during its collision. Also understand then
that this means a greater amount of potential energy must have been stored in the
elastic properties of the red ball and then restored as kinetic energy than in the blue
ball. Answer D (10-15 seconds)

14) A Ping-Pong ball moving east at a speed of 4 m/s, collides with a stationary bowling ball. The Ping-
Pong ball bounces back to the west, and the bowling ball moves very slowly to the east. Which object
experiences the greater magnitude impulse during the collision?
A) Neither; both experienced the same magnitude impulse.
B) the Ping-Pong ball
C) the bowling ball
D) It's impossible to tell since the velocities after the collision are unknown.

As the collision is an action-reaction situation, both the ping pong ball and the bowling
ball must experience and equal and opposite force over the same time interval, so the
magnitude of impulse each experiences must be the same. Therefore, the change in
momentum must also be the same. Don’t be distracted by the fact that the bowling ball
rolls away at a much slower velocity—the change in momentum is still equal—it’s just
that the mass of the bowling ball is so much greater, its velocity must be
proportionately slower. Answer A (10-15 seconds)

15) Two objects collide and bounce off each other. Linear momentum
A) is definitely conserved.
B) is definitely not conserved.
C) is conserved only if the collision is elastic.
D) is conserved only if the environment is frictionless.

When we consider the collision of two objects, remember that we view both objects as
being part of a system, and we view the change in momentum as a result of the
collision from a time just before the collision occurs to a time just after the collision is
over so that no external forces (including friction as in answer D) have a chance to
affect the change in momentum—therefore, we can say that regardless of whether the
collision is elastic or inelastic (which will only determine whether kinetic energy is
conserved), the total momentum of the system must be conserved. Answer A (10-15
seconds)

16) A 3.0-kg object moves to the right at 4.0 m/s. It collides head-on with a 6.0-kg object moving to the
left at 2.0 m/s. Which statement is correct?
A) The total momentum both before and after the collision is 24 kg∙ m/s.
B) The total momentum before the collision is 24 kg∙m/s, and after the collision is 0 kg∙m/s.
C) The total momentum both before and after the collision is zero.
D) None of the above is true.

The magnitude of the momentum of both objects before the collision is 12 kgm/s.
However, they are both moving in opposite directions, so the total momentum of the
system before the collision is 0 kgm/s. Given conservation of momentum, the total
momentum after the collision must also be zero. Answer C (15-30 seconds)

17) A 100-kg football linebacker moving at 2.0 m/s tackles head-on an 80-kg halfback running 3.0 m/s.
Neglecting the effects due to digging in of cleats,
A) the linebacker will drive the halfback backward.
B) the halfback will drive the linebacker backward.
C) neither player will drive the other backward.
D) this is a simple example of an elastic collision.

You should quickly be able to determine that the positive momentum of the linebacker
is 200 kgm/s which the momentum of the halfback in the opposite direction (negative
momentum) is 240 kgm/s. Because the halfback has the greater momentum he will be
able to drive the linebacker backward. Also, this is not an example of an elastic
collision—they do not simply bounce off of each other—after the collision they will
likely be traveling together somewhat as a combined mass. Answer B (15-30 seconds)
18) In an elastic collision, if the momentum is conserved, then which of the following statements is true
about kinetic energy?
A) Kinetic energy is also conserved.
B) Kinetic energy is gained.
C) Kinetic energy is lost.
D) none of the above

Stating that a collision is elastic means that energy is conserved—any kinetic energy
stored as potential energy in the elastic properties of the objects as part of the collision
(deformation of the objects) is returned completely to the objects as kinetic energy.
Stating that momentum is conserved simply also tells us that during the collision, no
forces from outside the system are modifying the momenta or energies of the objects.
Answer A

19) When is kinetic energy conserved?

A) in elastic collisions
B) in inelastic collisions
C) in any collision in which the objects do not stick together
D) in all collisions

Kinetic energy is conserved in elastic collisions. Stating a collision is elastic means

that energy is conserved—any kinetic energy stored as potential energy in the elastic
properties of the objects as part of the collision (deformation of the objects) is returned
completely to the objects as kinetic energy. Although not sticking together is a
requirement for an elastic collision, just because objects do not stick together does not
means that no energy is lost—energy can still be lost in the generation of heat, sound,
and some permanent deformation of one or both of the objects. Answer A (10-15
seconds)

20) In a game of pool, the white cue ball hits the #5 ball and stops, while the #5 ball moves away with the
same velocity as the cue ball had originally. The type of collision is
A) elastic.
B) inelastic.
C) completely inelastic.
D) any of the above, depending on the mass of the balls.

Because both balls have the same mass, and the 5 ball moved away with the same
velocity the cue ball originally had, the KE of the 5 ball equals the KE the cue ball
originally had and so KE is conserved. This means that the collision is elastic because
conserved KE is the requirement for an elastic collision. Do not be distracted by
answer D—billiard balls are all of the same mass—also, D cannot be the correct
answer because if C was correct, the balls would have to stick together (a condition oof
a completely inelastic collision) and this did not happen. Answer A (10-15 seconds)

21) When a light beach ball rolling with a speed of 6.0 m/s collides with a heavy exercise ball at rest, the
beach ball's speed after the collision will be, approximately,
A) 0.
B) 3.0 m/s.
C) 6.0 m/s.
D) 12 m/s.
You could reason that because the mass of the exercise ball will be so much greater
than that of the beach ball the collision will not do much to change the zero
momentum of the exercise ball. You could also reason that the collision should be
nearly elastic because of the elastic properties of the material of the beach ball. As
momentum and to a large extent energy will be conserved you would expect the
velocity of the beach ball to be nearly what it was before the collision. Answer C (15-
30 seconds)

22) A golf ball traveling 3.0 m/s to the right collides in a head-on collision with a stationary bowling ball
in a friction-free environment. If the collision is almost perfectly elastic, the speed of the golf ball
immediately after the collision is
A) slightly less than 3.0 m/s.
B) slightly greater than 3.0 m/s.
C) equal to 3.0 m/s.
D) much less than 3.0 m/s.
You could reason that because the mass of the bowling ball will be so much greater
than that of the beach ball the collision will not do much to change the zero
momentum of the bowling ball. You could also reason that as the collision is nearly
elastic, as momentum and to a large extent energy will be conserved you would expect
the velocity of the golf ball to be nearly what it was before the collision. Answer A (15-
30 seconds)

23) A rubber ball with a speed of 5.0 m/s collides head-on elastically with an identical ball at rest. What is
the speed of the initially stopped ball after the collision?
A) zero
B) 1.0 m/s
C) 2.5 m/s
D) 5.0 m/s
If identical objects (equal size, mass and substance) have an elastic, directly head on
collision when one of the objects is initially at rest, because of conservation of
momentum and energy, all of the momentum and energy of the object in motion will be
transferred to the object at rest. The object at rest will then be in motion at the same
velocity as the original object in motion, while the original object in motion will be at
rest. Answer D (10-15 seconds)

24) A very heavy object moving with speed v collides head-on with a very light object at rest. The
collision is elastic, and there is no friction. The heavy object barely slows down. What is the speed of the
light object after the collision?
A) nearly v
B) nearly 2v
C) nearly 3v
D) nearly infinite
If you wanted you could probably put some values in for masses and initial velocities
and solve for final velocities to see how this would work out. However, recall that for
directly head on, elastic collisions, through algebraic manipulation of the both the
conservation of momentum and energy formulas, we derived an equation we called the
differences of velocities equation: v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A In this relationship we would also
know that vB = 0 m/s and drops out leaving: v A =v B¢ - v ¢A Therefore, the velocity of the
second object must equal sum of the initial and final velocity of the first object:
v B¢ =v A + v ¢A We are told that the heavy object barely slows down. Therefore, the
velocity of the light object will equal vA + slightly less than vA, or slightly less than 2v.
Answer B (15-30 seconds)

Note: it is very possible that you would understand the answer to this based on
intuition alone and may not need this reasoning process. If so, that’s cool!

25) A very light object moving with speed v collides head-on with a very heavy object at rest, in a
frictionless environment. The collision is almost perfectly elastic. The speed of the heavy object after the
collision is
A) slightly greater than v.
B) equal to v.
C) slightly less than v.
D) much less than v.
See the reasoning for question 24. We could use similar reasoning and again see that
the velocity of the seconds object after the collision, in this case the heavy object,
should be v B¢ =v A + v ¢A We know that the initial velocity of object A, the light object, will
be “v”. As the collision is with a much heavier object and it is elastic, we would expect
the light object to rebound at almost the same velocity. However, it is now going in a
negative direction. Therefore, to get the find the velocity of the heavier object after the
collision, v B¢ =v A + v ¢A would could be rewritten as v B¢ =v A + (- "almost v A ") . This
would mean that the velocity of the heavy ball after the collision is much less than v.
Answer D (15-30 seconds)

Note: it is very possible that you would understand the answer to this based on
intuition alone and may not need this reasoning process. If so, that’s cool!

26) A red ball with a velocity of +3.0 m/s collides head-on with a yellow ball of equal mass moving with a
velocity of -2.0 m/s. What is the velocity of the yellow ball after the collision?
A) zero
B) +3.0 m/s
C) -2.0 m/s
D) +5.0 m/s
Recall that for directly head on, elastic collisions, through algebraic manipulation of
the both the conservation of momentum and energy formulas, we derived an equation
we called the differences of velocities equation: v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A . This equation tells us
that for a directly head on collision, the relative velocities of the objects are reversed
before and after the collision. Further, if the masses are equal, not only will difference
in relative velocities be reversed, the actual velocities will reversed. For this problem,
that means that the velocity of B after the collision will be the velocity of A before the
collision, and the velocity of A after the collision will be the velocity of B before the
collision. This would be a good thing to remember to answer questions like this
quickly without having to go through a reasoning process. Answer B (10-15 seconds)

27) A very heavy object moving with velocity v collides head-on with a very light object moving with
velocity -v. The collision is elastic, and there is no friction. The heavy object barely slows down. What is
the speed of the light object after the collision?
A) nearly v
B) nearly 2v
C) nearly 3v
D) nearly infinite
Recall that for directly head on, elastic collisions, through algebraic manipulation of
the both the conservation of momentum and energy formulas, we derived an equation
we called the differences of velocities equation: v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A . If we let the heavy
object be object A and the light object be object B, and recognize that vA=v, vB=-v, and
v’A= “slightly less than v,” we can solve for v’B.

v A - vB =vB¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v A - v B + v ¢A =v - (- v) + ("slightly less than v") =nearly 3v

Answer C (45-60 seconds)

28) In an inelastic collision, if the momentum is conserved, then which of the following statements is true
about kinetic energy?
A) Kinetic energy is also conserved.
B) Kinetic energy is gained.
C) Kinetic energy is lost.
D) none of the above
By definition, inelastic collisions are collisions in which kinetic energy is not
conserved, but is lost to the environment is some way, either through vibration,
creation of heat or sound or through permanent deformation of one or both of the
objects. Answer C (10-15 seconds)

29) Two objects collide and stick together. Kinetic energy

A) is definitely conserved.
B) is definitely not conserved.
C) is conserved only if the collision is elastic.
D) is conserved only if the environment is frictionless.
By definition, a completely inelastic collision is one in which the objects stick together.
In such a collision, none of the kinetic energy used to create deformation of the objects
as they become stuck together is returned to the motion of the objects—therefore this
kinetic energy is lost (and so, definitely not conserved). It doesn’t matter if the
environment is frictionless or not. The collision could not be elastic under any
circumstances because the objects stuck together. Answer B (10-15 seconds)

30) A 3.0-kg object moves to the right at 4.0 m/s. It collides in a perfectly inelastic collision with a 6.0 kg
object moving to the left at 2.0 m/s. What is the total kinetic energy after the collision?
A) 72 J
B) 36 J
C) 24 J
D) 0 J
You can see by inspecting the values of mass and velocity for the objects, the
momentum in the positive direction equals (3.0kg)(4.0m/s) =12 kgm/s and the
momentum in the negative direction equals (6.0kg)(-2.0m/s)= -12kgm/s. So, the total
momentum of the system is 0. As the objects stick together and the collision is
perfectly inelastic, and as the total momentum in the after situation must also equal 0,
the only way to accomplish this is if the velocity of the combined object is also 0 m/s.
This means that the total KE after the system must also be 0 J. Answer D (30-45
seconds)

31) A small object collides with a large object and sticks. Which object experiences the larger magnitude
of momentum change?
A) the large object
B) the small object
C) Both objects experience the same magnitude of momentum change.
D) cannot be determined from the information given
Always remember that a collision is an action reaction situation so the force exerted on
the large object by the small object must be the same as the force exerted on the small
object by the large object. As the time the forces are applied also must be equal, the
impulse of each force must also be equal. As impulse equals change in momentum,
change in momentum must also be equal. Answer C (10-15 seconds)

32) In a game of pool, the white cue ball hits the #9 ball and is deflected at a 35° angle to the original line
of motion. What is the angle of deflection below the original line of motion for the #9 ball?
A) 35°
B) 55°
C) 75°
D) 90°
We will not prove this but store somewhere in the back of your memory, for two objects
of equal mass in a non-head on, elastic collision, the objects will move away from each
other with a separation of 900. Answer B (10-15 seconds)

33) Consider two unequal masses, M and m. Which of the following statements is false?
A) The center of mass lies on the line joining the centers of each mass.
B) The center of mass is closer to the larger mass.
C) It is possible for the center of mass to lie within one of the objects.
D) If a uniform rod of mass m were to join the two masses, this would not alter the position of the center of
mass of the system without the rod present.
(A) The center of mass of a system of two objects will always lie on a line joining the
center of masses of the objects; (B) In a system of two unequal masses, the center of
mass will always lie closer to the larger mass; (C) If one of the objects is large
compared to the other it is entirely possible that the center of mass of the system will lie
within the object of larger mass; (D) If a uniform rod of mass m were to join the two
masses it would add an unequal amount of mass on each side of the original CM and
cause the CM to shift toward the lighter mass. Answer D

34) Which of the following is a false statement?

A) For a uniform symmetric object, the center of mass is at the center of symmetry.
B) For an object on the surface of the Earth, the center of gravity and the center of mass are the same point.
C) The center of mass of an object must lie within the object.
D) The center of gravity of an object may be thought of as the "balance point."
(A) For a uniform symmetric object, CM will, in fact be at the center of the symmetry;
(B) The only time these two would not be the same is if the object on the surface of the
earth is large enough that gravitational force on different parts of the object was
different; (C)This is not true—consider a uniform donut shaped object—the CM
would be in the space where the hole is, not within the object itself; (D)This is true—at
this point, all of the forces on all of the particles within the object sum to zero. Answer
C (45-60 seconds)

35) Tightrope walkers walk with a long flexible rod in order to

A) increase their total weight.
B) allow both hands to hold onto something.
C) lower their center of mass.
D) move faster along the rope.
As a tightrope walker is walking along a tightrope, it the center of gravity shifts away
from directly over the wire the walker is in danger of toppling over. If the walker is
holding a long pole in his hands, if he can feel the center of gravity shift one way, he
can move the pole in the opposite direction in an attempt to offset the shift. Also, the
closer the CM to the pivot point of the system (the ankles), the better the control—
holding the pole low will help lower the CM for better control. Answer C (15-30
seconds)

36) A plane, flying horizontally, releases a bomb, which explodes before hitting the ground. Neglecting
air resistance, the center of mass of the bomb fragments, just after the explosion
A) is zero.
B) moves horizontally.
C) moves vertically.
D) moves along a parabolic path.
After the bomb explodes, each fragment will act as a new projectile, and each will
travel with a parabolic path under the influence of gravity as if it had been newly
launched at whatever angle it was launched at. Answer D (15-30 seconds)
37) Two cars collide head-on on a level friction-free road. The collision was completely inelastic and both
cars quickly came to rest during the collision. What is true about the velocity of this system's center of
mass?
A) It was always zero.
B) It was never zero.
C) It was not zero, but ended up zero.
D) none of the above
As the cars meet each other and begin to crunch into one another, their positions
relative to each other and so, the CM of the system will always remain in the same
position. So, the velocity of the CM will remain zero. Answer A (30-45 seconds)

38) State Newton's second law for a system of particles. The sum of all forces acting on the system is
equal to the total mass of the system times the acceleration of its center of mass.

Quantitative Problems
1) What is the momentum of a 2000-kg truck traveling at 35 m/s?
A) 57 kg∙m/s
B) 3.5 × 104 kg∙m/s
C) 7.0 × 104 kg∙m/s
D) 7.0 × 105 kg∙m/s
A basic application of the momentum equation:
p =mv =(2000kg)(35 m / s) =70000 kg ×m / s Answer C (30-45 seconds)

2) A 1200-kg ferryboat is moving south at 20 m/s. What is the magnitude of its momentum?
A) 1.7 × 10-3 kg∙m/s
B) 6.0 × 102 kg∙m/s
C) 2.4 × 103 kg∙m/s
D) 2.4 × 104 kg∙m/s
A basic application of the momentum equation:
p =mv =(1200kg)(20 m / s) =24000 kg ×m / s Answer D (30-45 seconds)

3) A ball of mass 0.10 kg is dropped from a height of 12 m. Its momentum when it strikes the ground is
A) 1.5 kg∙m/s.
B) 1.8 kg∙m/s.
C) 2.4 kg∙m/s.
D) 4.8 kg∙m/s.
As momentum equals mass times velocity, we need to find the velocity at the point the
ball strikes the ground. Because we don’t have time we could find the final velocity
using:
v 2 = v02 + 2a( y - y0 ) ® v = 2(- 9.8m / s2 )(- 12m) =15.3 m / s
or we could use a conservation of energy approach:
mgy = 12 mv 2 ® v = 2gy = 2(- 9.8m / s 2 )(- 12m) =15.3 m / s
then plug the values into the momentum formula:
p =mv =(0.1 0kg)(15.3 m / s) =1.53 kg ×m / s =1.5 kg ×m / s

4) Two identical 1500-kg cars are moving perpendicular to each other. One moves with a speed of 25 m/s
due north and the other moves at 15 m/s due east. What is the total momentum of the system?
A) 4.4 × 104 kg∙m/s at 31° N of E
B) 4.4 × 104 kg∙m/s at 59° N of E
C) 6.0 × 104 kg∙m/s at 31° N of E
D) 6.0 × 104 kg∙m/s at 59° N of E
After calculating each individual momentum you need to sum the vectors using vector
addition. As the vectors are at right angles to each other you can simply use the
Pythagorean theorem and inverse tangent to find magnitude and direction.
p A =mAv A =(1500 kg)(25m / s) =37500 kg×s
m
(North)
kg× m
pB =mB v B =(1500 kg)(15m / s) =22500 s
(East)
2 2
(
p = p 2A + pB2 = 37500 kg×
s
m
) + ( 22500 )
kg×
s
m
=43732 kg×
s
m
=4.4x10 4 kg×
s
m

p
q =tan - 1 pBA =tan - 1 37500
22500
=590
5) A handball of mass 0.10 kg, traveling horizontally at 30 m/s, strikes a wall and rebounds at 24 m/s.
What is the change in the momentum of the ball?
A) 0.60 kg∙m/s
B) 1.2 kg∙m/s
C) 5.4 kg∙m/s
D) 72 kg∙m/s
A basic application of the change of momentum formula. Plug in the values for mass,
initial and final velocity and solve. (Note that technically as the direction of motion is
in the opposite direction of the original motion, the answer should be a negative value.)
Dp =mDv =(.10kg)(- 24m / s - 30m / s) =- 5.4kg ×m / s Answer C (30-45 seconds)

6) A 0.060-kg tennis ball, initially moving at a speed of 12 m/s, is struck by a racket causing it to rebound
in the opposite direction at a speed of 18 m/s. What is the change in momentum of the ball?
A) 0.36 kg∙m/s
B) 0.72 kg∙m/s
C) 1.1 kg∙m/s
D) 1.8 kg∙m/s
A basic application of the change of momentum formula. Plug in the values for mass,
initial and final velocity and solve. (Note that technically as the direction of motion is
in the opposite direction of the original motion, the answer should be a negative value.)
Dp =mDv =(.060kg)(- 18m / s - 12m / s) =- 1.8 kg ×m / s Answer D (30-45 seconds)

7) A 50-kg pitching machine (excluding the baseball) is placed on a frozen pond. The machine fires a
0.40-kg baseball with a speed of 35 m/s in the horizontal direction. What is the recoil speed of the pitching
machine? (Assume negligible friction.)
A) 0.14 m/s
B) 0.28 m/s
C) 0.70 m/s
D) 4.4 × 103 m/s
In the beginning, I would write out the basic relationship that initial total momentum
equals zero, which equals final total momentum, and then that the final momentum of
the object B equals the opposite of the final momentum of object A—this is the
“centering” concept you can come back to when you don’t know how to solve a
conservation of momentum problem. Then expand the “p” terms to “mv” terms,
isolate the variable you want, plug in the values and solve.
p1 =0 kg×
s
m
= p2 = p ¢A + pB¢
pB¢ =- p ¢A
mB v B¢ =- mAv ¢A
- mAv ¢A - (.40kg)(35m / s)
v B¢ = = =- .28 m / s =- .3 m / s
mB 50 kg Answer B (90-120 seconds)
8) A 70-kg astronaut is space-walking outside the space capsule and is stationary when the tether line
breaks. As a means of returning to the capsule he throws his 2.0-kg space hammer at a speed of 14 m/s
away from the capsule. At what speed does the astronaut move toward the capsule?
A) 0.40 m/s
B) 1.5 m/s
C) 3.5 m/s
D) 5.0 m/s
In the beginning, I would write out the basic relationship that initial total momentum
equals zero, which equals final total momentum, and then that the final momentum of
the object B equals the opposite of the final momentum of object A—this is the
“centering” concept you can come back to when you don’t know how to solve a
conservation of momentum problem. Then expand the “p” terms to “mv” terms,
isolate the variable you want, plug in the values and solve.
p1 =0 kg×
s
m
= p2 = p ¢A + pB¢
pB¢ =- p ¢A
mB v B¢ =- mAv ¢A
- mAv ¢A - (2kg)(14m / s)
v B¢ = = =- .40 m / s =- .4 m / s
mB 70 kg Answer A (90-120 seconds)
9) A small object with momentum 5.0 kg∙m/s approaches head-on a large object at rest. The small object
bounces straight back with a momentum of magnitude 4.0 kg∙ m/s. What is the magnitude of the large
object's momentum change?
A) 9.0 kg∙m/s
B) 5.0 kg∙m/s
C) 4.0 kg∙m/s
D) 1.0 kg∙m/s
Because of conservation of momentum, the change of momentum of the large object
must equal the opposite of the change of momentum of the small object. The small
object goes from a positive momentum of 5.0 kgm/s to a negative momentum of -4.0
kg×
m kg×
m kg×
m
kgm/s, or Dp =- 4.0 s - 5.0 s =- 9.0 s . Therefore, the change in momentum of
the large object is 9.0 kgm/s. Answer A (If this is a multiple choice question you can
reason this out without writing anything down in 15-30 seconds or even less; on a free
response question you would need to justify using the work above—45-60 seconds).

10) You (50-kg mass) skate on ice at 4.0 m/s to greet your friend (40-kg mass), who is standing still, with
open arms. As you collide, while holding each other, with what speed do you both move off together?
A) zero
B) 2.2 m/s
C) 5.0 m/s
D) 23 m/s
In the beginning, I would write out that initial momentum equals final momentum and
then expand that into what it means, showing what drops out. Then isolate the desired
variable, plug variables in and solve. Answer B (90-120 seconds)
p1 = p2
p A + pB = p ¢A + pB¢
mAv A (50 kg)(4.0m / s)
mAv A =mAB v ¢AB ® v ¢AB = = =2.22 m / s =2 m / s
mAB 90 kg

11) A car of mass 1000 kg moves to the right along a level, straight road at a speed of 6.0 m/s. It collides
directly with a stopped motorcycle of mass 200 kg. What is the total momentum after the collision?
A) zero
B) 6000 kg∙m/s to the right
C) 2000 kg∙m/s to the right
D) 10,000 kg∙m/s to the right
Given conservation of momentum, the total momentum after the collision has to equal
the total momentum before the collision. I would write out that initial momentum
equals final momentum and then expand that into the momentum of the two objects
before and after the collision. Then, knowing that the momentum of the motorcycle
before the crash was 0, you can see that the total momentum after the crash equals the
momentum of just the car before the crash. Plug the values in and solve.
p1 = p2
p A + pB = p ¢A + pB¢ =mAv A =(1000kg)(6m / s) =6000kgm / s
(Answer B 45-60 seconds)

12) A 1000-kg car traveling at 25 m/s runs into the rear of a stopped car that has a mass of 1500 kg and
they stick together. What is the speed of the cars after the collision?
A) 5.0 m/s
B) 10 m/s
C) 15 m/s
D) 20 m/s
Recognize in reading the problem that as the cars stick together, you only need to solve
for one variable so you only need the conservation of momentum equation (if you
needed to solve for two variables you would need to also use some form of the
conservation of energy equation and identify and expression for one of the variables,
substituting this expression in one of the equations and solving for the other variable).
You could start by equating initial and final total momentum but after having
completed several more basic problems you may be able to start at a later point in the
process. You already know that initial momentum of the second car is 0.
p1 = p2
p A + pB = p ¢AB
mAv A (1000kg)(25m / s)
mAv A =mAB v AB ® v AB = = =10m / s
mAB 1000kg +1500kg
13) A railroad freight car, mass 15,000 kg, is allowed to coast along a level track at a speed of 2.0 m/s. It
collides and couples with a 50,000-kg second car, initially at rest and with brakes released. What is the
speed of the two cars after coupling?
A) 0.46 m/s
B) 0.60 m/s
C) 1.2 m/s
D) 1.8 m/s
Recognize in reading the problem that as the cars stick together, you only need to solve
for one variable so you only need the conservation of momentum equation (if you
needed to solve for two variables you would need to also use some form of the
conservation of energy equation and identify and expression for one of the variables,
substituting this expression in one of the equations and solving for the other variable).
You could start by equating initial and final total momentum but after having
completed several more basic problems you may be able to start at a later point in the
process. You already know that initial momentum of the second car is 0.
p1 = p2
p A + pB = p ¢AB
mAv A (15000kg)(2.0m / s)
mAv A =mAB v AB ® v AB = = =.46m / s
mAB 15000kg + 50000kg
14) A railroad car, of mass 200 kg, rolls with negligible friction on a horizontal track with a speed of 10
m/s. A 70-kg stunt man drops straight down a distance of 4.0 m, and lands in the car. How fast will the car
be moving after this happens?
A) 2.8 m/s
B) 4.7 m/s
C) 7.4 m/s
D) 10 m/s
Recognize in reading the problem that as the stunt man and the car act as a single
masS, you only need to solve for one variable so you only need the conservation of
momentum equation (if you needed to solve for two variables you would need to also
use some form of the conservation of energy equation and identify and expression for
one of the variables, substituting this expression in one of the equations and solving
for the other variable). You could start by equating initial and final total momentum
but after having completed several more basic problems you may be able to start at a
later point in the process. Because the stunt man drops straight into the car, it has no
velocity in the direction of the motion of the car and so only its mass matters—that is,
the stunt man initially contributes 0 momentum to the total momentum of the system.
p1 = p2
p A + pB = p ¢AB
mAv A (200kg)(10m / s)
mAv A =mAB v AB ® v AB = = =7.4 m / s
mAB 200kg + 70kg Answer C
15) A 60-kg person walks on a 100-kg log at the rate of 0.80 m/s (with respect to the log). With what
speed does the log move, with respect to the shore?
A) 0.24 m/s
B) 0.30 m/s
C) 0.48 m/s
D) 0.60 m/s
Before the person begins to walk both the person and the log would have been
stationary, so total momentum must be zero. According to conservation of momentum,
then, after the person starts walking down the log, the log must move with an equal
and opposite momentum. Again, if you need to, start from the point of total
momentum equaling 0 and expand, or you can start with a later equation if you can
reason out what that equation should be. If this is a multiple choice question you can
probably figure this out in your head in 15-30 seconds.
p1 =0 = p2
p A + p B =0 = p ¢A + pB¢
pB¢ =- p ¢A
mAv ¢A (60kg)(.80m / s)
mB v B¢ =mAv ¢A ® v B¢ = = =.48m / s
mB 100kg
Answer C

16) A 4.0-N force acts for 3.0 s on an object. The force suddenly increases to 15 N and acts for one more
second. What impulse was imparted by these forces to the object?
A) 12 N∙s
B) 15 N∙s
C) 19 N∙s
D) 27 N∙s
The impulse imparted by the two forces would simply to the sum of the impulses:
FDt =(4.0N )(3.0s) + (15N )(1.0s) =27N ×s Answer D

17) A constant 9.0-N net force acts for 2.0 s on a 6.0-kg object. What is the object's change of velocity?
A) 3.0 m/s
B) 9.0 m/s
C) 27 m/s
D) 110 m/s
A basic application of the impulse momentum theorem. Isolate Dv , plug in the values
and solve:
FDt (9.0N )(2.0s)
FD t =Dp =mDv ® Dv = = =3.0m / s
m 6.0kg Answer A

18) A 2000-kg car, traveling to the right at 30 m/s, collides with a brick wall and comes to rest in 0.20 s.
What is the average force the car exerts on the wall?
A) 12,000 N to the right
B) 300,000 N to the right
C) 60,000 N to the right
D) none of the above
A basic application of the impulse momentum theorem. Isolate F, plug in the values
and solve:
 mDv (2000kg)(30m / s)
FD t =Dp =mDv ® F = = =300,000N to the right
Dt 0.20s
Answer B

19) A 2.0-kg softball is pitched to you at 20 m/s. You hit the ball back along the same path, and at the
same speed. If the bat was in contact with the ball for 0.10 s, what is the magnitude of the average force
the bat exerted?
A) zero
B) 40 N
C) 400 N
D) 800 N
A basic application of the impulse momentum theorem—do not be distracted by the
fact that the impulse resulted in not only a slow down of the momentum of the softball,
but a complete reversal in direction—so, when you determine change in momentum,
the velocity is changing from a positive 20 m/s to a negative 20 m/s. Thus, the overall
change in velocity of the softball is -40 m/s. Isolate force, plug the values in and solve.
As the question asks for the magnitude of the force, even though the direction of the
force is negative, the answer is the absolute value of this. Answer D
mDv (2.0kg)(- 20m / s - 20m / s)
FDt =Dp =mDv ® F = = =- 800N
Dt 0.1s
20) A 0.10-kg ball is dropped onto a table top. The speeds of the ball right before and right after hitting
the table top are 5.0 m/s and 4.0 m/s, respectively. If the collision between the ball and the table top lasts
0.15 s, what is the magnitude of the average force exerted on the ball by the table top?
A) 0.67 N
B) 1.3 N
C) 3.0 N
D) 6.0 N
A basic application of the impulse momentum theorem—do not be distracted by the
fact that the impulse resulted in not only a slow down of the momentum of the ball, but
a complete reversal in direction—so, when you determine change in momentum, the
velocity is changing from a positive 5.0 m/s to a negative 4.0 m/s. Thus, the overall
change in velocity of the softball is -9.0 m/s. Isolate force, plug the values in and solve.
Also, don’t be distracted by the question asking for the average force. Make sure you
understand that as the force of the table is exerted on the ball, it is not uniform—the
force of the table starts at a minimal value and increases until the ball has reversed
direction, and then decreases again until the ball is no longer touching the table—so,
technically, the force we are determining is an average force. As the question asks for
the magnitude of the force, even though the direction of the force is negative, the
answer is the absolute value of this. Answer D
mDv (.10kg)(- 4.0m / s - 5.0m / s)
FDt =Dp =mDv ® F = = =- 6.0N
Dt 0.15s

21) A machine gun, of mass 35.0 kg, fires 50.0-gram bullets, with a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s, at the rate
of 300 rounds per minute. What is the average force exerted on the machine gun mount?
A) 94.0 N
B) 188 N
C) 219 N
D) 438 N
An application of the impulse momentum theorem. Understand that the force applied to the gun mount
is reaction force of the fired bullet—that is, as the charge in the bullet explodes and propels the bullet
forward, the reaction force pushes back on the gun mount. This force can be found by isolating force in
the impulse momentum equation. The mass is just the mass of the bullet—the mass of the gun is just
useless information. As the bullet starts at a zero velocity, the change in velocity is just equal to the final
velocity. As 300 rounds are fired per minute, Dt will equal 60 seconds divided by 300 rounds per
minute, giving .20 seconds per round. Plug values in and solve. Answer B (we will pretend there are
three significant figures but technically there is only one)
mDv (.050kg)(750.0m / s - 0.0m / s)
FD t =Dp =mDv ® F = = =187.5 N =188N
Dt 60s
300 rounds / sec
22) A fire hose is turned on the door of a burning building in order to knock the door down. This requires
a force of 1000 N. If the hose delivers 40 kg per second, what is the minimum velocity of the stream
needed, assuming the water doesn't bounce back?
A) 15 m/s
B) 20 m/s
C) 25 m/s
D) 30 m/s
An application of the impulse momentum theorem. The door is at a 0 momentum and
we would like it to change its momentum using the impulse of the water. We are told
this will require a force of 1000 N and we can determine if this force can be generated
using the impulse momentum theorem. In this case all we need to do is isolate initial
velocity of the water and solve. We have already been told that the final velocity is 0—
that is, the water does not splash back so its momentum changes from 40kg times its
initial velocity to zero. Why do we have to put a negative sign in front of the 1000 N
force? (Because the force that changes the momentum of the water is actually the
1000 N in the negative direction). Answer C
mv - FDt (40kg)(0m / s) - (- 1000N )(1s)
FD t =mDv =mv f - mvi ® vi = f = =25m / s
m 40kg
23) Water runs out of a horizontal drainpipe at the rate of 120 kg per minute. It falls 3.20 m to the ground.
Assuming the water doesn't splash up, what average force does it exert on the ground
A) 6.20 N
B) 12.0 N
C) 15.8 N
D) 19.6 N
Another application of the impulse momentum theorem. The force with which the
water hits the ground will be part of the impulse. We can determine the mass per
second by dividing 120 kg by 60 s. We can find velocity with which it hits the ground
either kinematically or by work energy. I have done both.

F=
mDv
=
(
120kg /min
60s )(7.92m / s)
=15.8N
Dt 1.0s
W = 12 mv 2 = m gy v 2 = v02 + 2a( y - y0 )

v = 2gy = 2(9.8m / s 2 )(3.2m) =7.92m / s = v = 2gy

24) A toy rocket, of mass 0.12 kg, achieves a velocity of 40 m/s after 3.0 s, when fired straight up. What
average thrust force does the rocket engine exert?
A) 1.2 N
B) 1.6 N
C) 2.8 N
D) 4.4 N
You need to be careful here—this is not a simply application of conservation of
momentum. To be sure, the force provided as a reaction to the exhaust leaving the
back of the rocket propels the rocket, but the momentum gained by the rocket in this
case does not equal the momentum of the exhaust in the opposite direction. The
external force of gravity is modifying this change in momentum so we have to treat this
problem from a perspective of net force. The net force causing the acceleration is the
sum of the applied force and the force due to gravity and we are after the applied force,
so we have to determine acceleration.
å F =FA + FG ® FA =ma - mg =m(a - g) =(.12)(13.33m / s2 - (- 9.8m / s2 )) =2.8N
Dv (40m / s - 0m / s)
a= = =13.33m / s 2
Dt 3.0s
Answer C

25) Two astronauts, of masses 60 kg and 80 kg, are initially at rest in outer space. They push each other
apart. What is their separation after the lighter astronaut has moved 12 m?
A) 15 m
B) 18 m
C) 21 m
D) 24 m
One way to approach this (the long way) would be to determine, using conservation of
momentum (knowing initial total momentum is 0), what the velocities of each
astronaut must be, and then knowing that the lighter astronaut moved 12 m, determine
the number of seconds this motion took, multiply this times the velocity of the other
astronaut, determine how he went, and then add the two distances together. A much
quicker approach is to realize that as the heavier astronaut has 4/3 the mass of the
lighter astronaut, his velocity will be 3/4 as great and he will go 3/4 as far, or 9 m. The
total separation would be 21 m.
mlighter vlighter
¢ =- mheavier vheavier
¢
mlighter vlighter
¢ 60kg 3
vheavier
¢ = = vlighter
¢ = vlighter
¢
- mheavier 80kg 4
separation =( vlighter
¢ )(t) + ( vlighter
¢ )(t) =12m + 43 (12m) =21m

26) A 3.0-kg object moves to the right with a speed of 2.0 m/s. It collides in a perfectly elastic collision
with a 6.0-kg object moving to the left at 1.0 m/s. What is the total kinetic energy after the collision?
A) 9.0 J
B) 6.0 J
C) 3.0 J
D) 0 J
Inspection of the initial values of mass and velocity tells us that the initial total
momentum will equal 0. ( (3.0kg)(2.0m/s)=6.0kgm/s vs (6.0kg)(-1.0m/s)= -6.0kgm/s. )
However, as the collision is elastic both balls will still have velocity and so still have
KE after the collision. So, we have to work through the problem to figure out what the
final KE will be. One thing that will simplify is the knowledge this is a head on
collision and that in that circumstance, we can use the “difference of the velocities”
relationship. If the masses were equal, the balls would simply exchange velocities and
that would make things even easier. However, they are not, so we have to find the final
velocities to determine the total KE.

Write out the conservation of momentum equation and difference of velocities

of equation.
Solve the difference of velocities equation for v B¢ and substitute into
conservation of momentum equation.
Isolate v ¢A , plug in values and solve.
Plug value for v ¢A back into difference of velocities equation and solve for v ¢
Then calculate total KE of the system. Answer A

mAv A + mB v B =mAv ¢A + mB v B¢
v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v A - v B + v ¢A
mAv A + mB v B =mAv ¢A + mB v A - mB v B + mB v ¢A
mAv A + 2mB v B - mB v A =v ¢A (mA + mB )
mAv A + 2mB v B - mB v A (3.0kg)(2.0m / s) + (2)(6.0kg)(- 1.0m / s) - (6.0kg)(2.0m / s)
=v ¢A = =- 2.0m / s
mA + mB 6.0kg + 3.0kg
v B¢ =v A - v B + v ¢A =2.0m / s - (- 1.0m / s) + (- 2.0m / s) =1.0m / s
Total KE =KE A + KE B = 12 mAv ¢A2 + 12 mB v B¢2 =( 12 )(3.0kg)(- 2.0m / s) 2 + ( 12 )(6.0kg)(1.0m / s)2 =9J
27) A 0.10-kg object with a velocity of 0.20 m/s in the +x direction makes a head-on elastic collision with
a 0.15 kg object initially at rest. What is the final velocity of the 0.10-kg object after collision?
A) -0.16 m/s
B) +0.16 m/s
C) -0.040 m/s
D) +0.040 m/s
Basic head on elastic collision analysis to find a final velocity .
Write out the conservation of momentum equation and difference of velocities
equation (initial momentum and velocity B drop out)
Solve the difference of velocities equation for v B¢ and substitute into
conservation of momentum equation.
Isolate v ¢A , plug in values and solve.
mAv A + mB v B =mAv ¢A + mB v B¢
v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v A + v ¢A
mAv A =mAv ¢A + mB v A + mB v ¢A
mAv A - mB v A =v ¢A (mA + mB )
mAv A - mB v A (.10kg)(.20m / s) - (.15kg)(.20m / s)
=v ¢A = =- .04m / s
mA + mB .10kg + .15kg
v B¢ =v A + v ¢A =3.70m / s + (1.23m / s) =4.93m / s
Answer C
28) A 10.0-g bullet moving at 300 m/s is fired into a 1.00-kg block at rest. The bullet emerges (the bullet
does not get embedded in the block) with half of its original speed. What is the velocity of the block right
after the collision?
A) 1.50 m/s
B) 2.97 m/s
C) 3.00 m/s
D) 273 m/s
This is a straightforward application of conservation of momentum. You only have
one variable to solve for, the final velocity of the block, and all of the other values are
given, so simply write out the conservation of momentum equation (initial momentum
for the block drops out), isolate v B¢ , plug in the values and solve.
mAv A + mB vB =mAv ¢A + mB v B¢
mAv A - mAv ¢A (.0100kg)(300m / s) - (.0100kg)(150m / s)
v B¢ = = =1.5m / s
mB 1.00kg) Answer A
29) A proton, of mass m, at rest, is struck head-on by an alpha-particle (which consists of 2 protons and 2
neutrons) moving at speed v. If the collision is completely elastic, what speed will the alpha-particle have
after the collision? (Assume the neutron's mass equals the proton's mass.)
A) zero
B) 2v/3
C) 3v/5
D) 5v/3
Basic head on elastic collision analysis to find a final velocity .
Write out the conservation of momentum equation and difference of velocities
equation-use m for mass of proton and 4m for mass of alpha
particle; use subscript A and B for final velocities (initial momentum
and velocity of proton drop out)
v¢
Solve the difference of velocities equation for B and substitute into
conservation of momentum equation.
Isolate v ¢A , plug in values and solve.
4mv =4 mv ¢ + mv ¢
A B

v =v B¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v + v ¢A
4 mv =4 mv ¢A + mv + mv ¢A ® 3v =5v ¢A ® v ¢A = 53 v
Answer C

30) A 50-gram ball moving +10 m/s collides head-on with a stationary ball of mass 100 g. The collision is
elastic. What is the speed of each ball immediately after the collision?
A) -3.3 m/s and +6.7 m/s
B) +3.3 m/s and -6.7 m/s
C) -6.7 m/s and +3.3 m/s
D) +6.7 m/s and -3.3 m/s
Basic head on elastic collision analysis to find a final velocity .
Write out the conservation of momentum equation and difference of velocities
equation (initial momentum and velocity B drop out)
Solve the difference of velocities equation for v B¢ and substitute into
conservation of momentum equation.
Isolate v ¢A , plug in values and solve.
Plug v ¢A in the difference in velocities equation and solve for v B¢

mAv A + mB v B =mAv ¢A + mB vB¢

v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v A + v ¢A
mAv A =mAv ¢A + mB v A + mB v ¢A
mAv A - mB v A =v ¢A (mA + mB )
mAv A - mB v A (.05kg)(10m / s) - (.100kg)(10m / s)
=v ¢A = =- 3.3m / s
mA + mB .05kg + .100kg
v B¢ =v A + v ¢A =10m / s + (- 3.3m / s) =6.7m / s

31) A ball of mass 400 g moving toward the east with a speed of 3.70 m/s collides head-on with a 200 g
ball sitting at rest. The collision is perfectly elastic.
(a) Determine the velocity of the first ball after the collision.
(b) Determine the velocity of the second ball after the collision.
(c) Is kinetic energy conserved in this collision?
Basic head on elastic collision analysis to find a final velocity .
(a) Write out the conservation of momentum equation and difference of velocities
of equation (initial momentum and velocity B drop out)
Solve the difference of velocities equation for v B¢ and substitute into
conservation of momentum equation.
Isolate v ¢A , plug in values and solve.
(b) Plug v ¢A in the difference in velocities equation and solve for v B¢
mAv A + mB vB =mAv ¢A + mB v B¢
v A - v B =v B¢ - v ¢A ® v B¢ =v A + v ¢A
mAv A =mAv A¢ + mB v A + mB v ¢A
mAv A - mB v A =v ¢A (mA + mB )
mAv A - mB v A (.400kg)(3.70m / s) - (.200kg)(3.70m / s)
=v ¢A = =1.23m / s
mA + mB .400kg + .200kg
v B¢ =v A + v ¢A =3.70m / s + (1.23m / s) =4.93m / s
(c) Yes, it is perfectly elastic so energy is conserved.
32) A 2.0-kg mass moves with a speed of 5.0 m/s. It collides head-on with a 3.0 kg mass at rest. If the
collision is perfectly inelastic, what is the speed of the masses after the collision?
A) 10 m/s
B) 2.5 m/s
C) 2.0 m/s
D) 0, since the collision is inelastic

In this inelastic collision, as we are only solving for one variable, v ¢AB , we only need to
use the conservation of momentum equation. Momentum for B will drop out, and
there is only a single term on the right: mAB v ¢AB . We have all of the other values. Write
out the equation, isolate v ¢AB , plug in values and solve.
mv (2.0kg)(5.0m / s)
mAv A + mB v B =mAB v ¢AB ® v ¢AB = A A = =2.0 m / s
mAB (2.0kg + 3.0kg) Answer C

33) A 2.0-kg mass moving to the east at a speed of 4.0 m/s collides head-on in a perfectly inelastic
collision with a stationary 2.0-kg mass. How much kinetic energy is lost during this collision?
A) 16 J
B) 4.0 J
C) 8.0 J
D) zero
In this inelastic collision, in order to determine the change in kinetic energy (loss of
KE), we need to find the final velocity of the combined object, determine its KE and
subtract this from the original KE, which is just the KE of moving object before the
collision. To find the final velocity, as we are only solving for one variable, v ¢AB , we
only need to use the conservation of momentum equation. Momentum for B will drop
out, and there is only a single term on the right: mAB v ¢AB . We have all of the other
values. Write out the equation, isolate v ¢AB , plug in values and solve. Then make the
KE calculation.

You could also reason this out without doing calculations if it’s just a multiple choice
question. As it is a head on inelastic collision and the masses are equal, and the total
momentum is just the momentum of the original object in motion, the mass of the
combined object is double, so the velocity must be half or 2.0 m/s. From there it is easy
to do the KE calculation in your head.
mv (2.0kg)(4.0m / s)
mAv A + mB v B =mAB v ¢AB ® v ¢AB = A A = =2.0 m / s
mAB (2.0kg + 2.0kg)
KEbefore = 12 mAv 2A =(.5)(2.0kg)(4.0m / s) 2 =16J
KEafter = 12 mAB v 2AB=(.5)(2.0kg + 2.0kg)(2.0m / s)2 =8J
KElost =KEbefore - KEafter =16J - 8J =8J
Answer C

34) A car of mass m, traveling with a velocity v, strikes a parked station wagon, who's mass is 2m. The
bumpers lock together in this head-on inelastic collision. What fraction of the initial kinetic energy is lost
in this collision?
A) 1/2
B) 1/3
C) 1/4
D) 2/3
In this inelastic collision, in order to determine the change in kinetic energy (loss of
KE), we need to find the final velocity of the combined object, determine its KE and
subtract this from the original KE, which is just the KE of moving object before the
collision. To find the final velocity, as we are only solving for one variable, v ¢AB , we
only need to use the conservation of momentum equation. Momentum for B will drop
out, and there is only a single term on the right: mAB v ¢AB . We don’t have actual values
but we can substitute m, v and 2m to see what happens to final velocity v ¢AB , Then make
the KE calculation.
mv mv mv v
mAv A + mB v B =mAB v ¢AB ® v ¢AB = A A = = =
mAB m + 2m 3m 3
KEbefore = 12 mAv 2A = 12 mv 2
2
KEafter = 12 mAB v 2AB= 12 3m ( v3 ) = 61 mv 2
KElost =KEbefore - KEafter = 63 mv 2 - 16 mv 2 = 62 mv 2
2/6 of 3/6 mv2 is lost—the fraction of energy lost is 2/3 Answer D

35) A 15-g bullet traveling 213 m/s in a vertical direction buries itself in a 2.4 kg block of wood at rest
directly above it. As a result, the bullet/block combination moves vertically upward.
(a) Determine the velocity of the bullet/block combination at the point of impact.
(b) Determine the maximum height reached by the bullet/block combination.
(c) Is kinetic energy conserved in this collision?
This is a two part problem. The first part is the collision in which the bullet buries
itself in the block—if we just consider the instant before and after the collision, we
know that initially the block has a momentum of 0, and after the collision the
combined block and bullet has a non-zero momentum and so a velocity. This velocity
provides the block and bullet with KE. At this point conservation of momentum is no
longer in effect because an external force, the force due to gravity is acting on the
block and bullet. At this point it is now a conservation of energy problem. The KE will
be transformed into PE as the block rises. The height to which it rises will equal mgh.

As with any completely inelastic collision in which one object is stationary, the total
momentum before is just the momentum of the object in motion, and this equals the
momentum after the collision when the objects stick together. We just solve for the
final velocity:
mv (.015kg)(213m / s)
mAv A + mB v B =mAB v ¢AB ® v ¢AB = A A = =1.3 m / s
mAB (2.4kg + .015kg)
We can set the KE imparted by this velocity equal to PE when the block stops rising
and solve for height:

1
mv 2 (1.3m / s) 2
1
h= 2
= 2
=.086m
mg 9.8m / s 2
KE is not conserved in the collision because it is inelastic.

36) A 1500-kg car traveling at 90.0 km/h east collides with a 3000-kg car traveling at 60.0 km/h south.
The two cars stick together after the collision. (See Fig. 7-1.) What is the speed of the cars after collision?
A) 8.33 m/s
B) 13.9 m/s
C) 17.4 m/s
D) 21.7 m/s
You don’t really need the figure to solve this one. Because momentum will be
conserved, the components of the momentum also need to be conserved. So, after the
collision the momentum in the x direction must be the original momentum of the car
traveling east, while the momentum after the collision in the y direction must equal the
original momentum of the car traveling south. These two vectors can then be summed
(resultant found using the Pythagorean theorem.) Once this total momentum after the
collision has been determined, it can be divided by the combined mass to get the final
velocity.
æ 90km / h ö
px =mAv A =(1500kg) ç =37500kgm / s
è 3.6 ÷ ø
æ 60km / h ö
p y =mB v B =(30000kg) ç =50000kgm / s
è 3.6 ÷ ø
total pafter = (37500kgm / s)2 + (50000kgm / s)2 =62500kgm / s
pafter 62500kgm / s
v AB = = =13.9m / s
mAB 4500kg
37) A 1500-kg car traveling at 90.0 km/h east collides with a 3000-kg car traveling at 60.0 km/h south.
The two cars stick together after the collision. (See Fig. 7-1.) What is the direction of motion of the cars
after collision?
A) 36.9° S of E
B) 36.9° E of S
C) 53.1° S of E
D) 53.1° E of S
This is an extension of question 36. To find the direction we just need to take the
inverse tan of the y component over the x component (to find angle with reference to x
axis).
50000
q =tan - 1 =53.10 South of East
37500 Answer C

38) Two objects move on a level frictionless surface. Object A moves east with a momentum of 24
kg∙m/s. Object B moves north with momentum 10 kg∙m/s. They make a perfectly inelastic collision. What
is the magnitude of their combined momentum after the collision?
A) 14 kg∙m/s
B) 26 kg∙m/s
C) 34 kg∙m/s
D) cannot be determined without knowing masses and velocities
Because momentum will be conserved, the components of the momentum also need to
be conserved. So, after the collision the momentum in the x direction must be the
original momentum of the object A traveling east, while the momentum after the
collision in the y direction must equal the original momentum of the object B traveling
north. These two vectors can then be summed (resultant found using the Pythagorean
theorem.) As opposed to problems 36 and 37, the only thing we can find is the final
total momentum of the system—we have not been given the masses of the cars to
determine final velocities.
px =24 kgm / s
p y =10 kgm / s

total pafter = (24kgm / s) 2 + (10kgm / s) 2 =26 kgm / s

Answer B

39) A small bomb, of mass 10 kg, is moving toward the North with a velocity of 4.0 m/s. It explodes into
three fragments: a 5.0-kg fragment moving west with a speed of 8.0 m/s; a 4.0-kg fragment moving east
with a speed of 10 m/s; and a third fragment with a mass of 1.0 kg. What is the velocity of the third
fragment? (Neglect air friction.)
A) zero
B) 40 m/s north
C) 40 m/s south
D) none of the above
According to conservation of momentum, the total momentum of the three fragments
after the collision must equal the total momentum before, and again, components of
momentum vectors are also conserved. After the explosion the total momentum in the
east and west direction must therefore equal 0. Fortunately this happens. Finally, as
the total momentum before was all to the north, the momentum to the north after the
explosion has to equal this
total pbefore =(10kg)(4.0m / s) =40kgm / s North
total east / west p = peast + pwest =(5.0kg)(- 8.0m / s) + (4.0kg)(10.0m / s) =0kgm / s
pthird fragment pnorth = pbefore =40kgm / s North
vthird fragment = = =40m / s North
mthird fragment 1.0kg

40) A 4.00-kg mass sits at the origin, and a 10.0-kg mass sits at x = + 21.0 m. Where is the center of mass
on the x-axis?
A) +7.00 m
B) +10.5 m
C) +14.0 m
D) +15.0 m
Basic application of CM equation for two particles. Don’t be distracted by the fact that
the mass at position 0 is multiplied by 0m and doesn’t seem to count—this is just a
feature of how we set up the equation—letting one mass be at the origin. We are still
including this mass in the mass in the denominator.
m x + mB xB (4.00kg)(0m) + (10.0kg)(21.0m)
xCM = A A = =15.0m
mA + mB 14.0kg Answer D
41) The center of mass of a two-particle system is at the origin. One particle is located at (3.0 m, 0) and
has a mass of 2.0 kg. What is the location of the second mass of 3.0 kg?
A) (-3.0 m, 0)
B) (-2.0 m, 0)
C) (2.0 m, 0)
D) (3.0 m, 0)
Application of the CM equation for two particles. Rearrange formula to isolate the
position of the second particle, plug in values and solve. You may have been able to
reason this out without the calculation but for the quantitative section you needed to
show work.
m x + mB xB x (m + mB ) - mA x A (0m)(2.0kg + 3.0kg) - (2.0kg)(3.0m)
xCM = A A ® x B = CM A = =- 2.0m
mA + mB mB 3.0kg
42) Three masses are positioned as follows: 2.0 kg at (0, 0), 2.0 kg at (2.0, 0), and 4.0 kg at (2.0, 1.0).
Determine the coordinates of the center of mass.
A) (0.50, 1.5)
B) (1.5, 0.50)
C) (2.5, 1.5)
D) (2.5, 0.50)
Application of the CM equation for multiple particles in two dimensions. Find x
coordinate of CM using xcm formula and y coordinate using ycm formula.
m x + mB x B + mC xC (2.0kg)(0m) + (2.0kg)(2.0m) + (4.0kg)(2.0m)
xCM = A A = =1.5m
mA + mB + mC (8.0kg)
mA y A + mB y B + mC yC (2.0kg)(0m) + (2.0kg)(2.0m) + (4.0kg)(1.0m)
yCM = = =.5m
mA + mB + mC (8.0kg)
Answer B

43) Three masses, 1.0 kg, 2.0 kg, and 3.0 kg, are located at (0, 0), (1.0 m, 1.0 m), and (2.0 m, -2.0 m),
respectively. What is the location of the center of mass of the system?
A) (1.3 m, 0.67 m)
B) (1.3 m, -0.67 m)
C) (-1.3 m, 0.67 m)
D) (-1.3 m, -0.67 m)
Same type of problem as 42:
m x + mB x B + mC xC (1.0kg)(0m) + (2.0kg)(1.0m) + (3.0kg)(2.0m)
xCM = A A = =1.3m
mA + mB + mC (6.0kg)
mA y A + mB y B + mC yC (1.0kg)(0m) + (2.0kg)(1.0m) + (3.0kg)(- 2.0m)
yCM = = =- .67m
mA + mB + mC (6.0kg)

44) A 3.0-kg mass is positioned at (0, 8.0), and a 1.0-kg mass is positioned at (12, 0). What are the
coordinates of a 4.0-kg mass which will result in the center of mass of the system of three masses being
located at the origin, (0, 0)?
A) (-3.0, -6.0)
B) (-12, -8.0)
C) (3.0, 6.0)
D) (-6.0, -3.0)
An application of the center of mass formula. For x and y coordinates of the third mass, set the center
of mass coordinate equal to zero and isolate xc and yc, and then solve
mA x A + mB x B + mC xC xCM ( mA + mB + mC ) - mA x A - mB x B (0m)(3.0kg +1.0kg + 4.0kg) - (3.0kg)(0m) - (1.0kg)(12m)
xCM = ® =xC = =- 3.0
mA + mB + mC mC 4.0kg
mA y A + mB y B + mC yC yCM ( mA + mB + mC ) - mA y A - mB y B (0m)(3.0kg +1.0kg + 4.0kg) - (3.0kg)(8.0m) - (1.0kg)(0m)
yCM = ® =yC = =- 6.0
mA + mB + mC mC 4.0kg

45) Use Table 7-1 to calculate the position of the CM of a whole leg including the foot when the leg is
stretched straight out. Assume the person is 1.60 m tall.
A) 0.20 m above the bottom of the foot
B) 0.32 m above the bottom of the foot
C) 0.51 m above the bottom of the foot
D) 0.54 m above the bottom of the foot
Given following data regarding mass and position of CM for each body part:

Upper thigh is from hip to knee joint:

21.5% of body mass
Hip joint is 52.1% of body length above floor
CM is 42.5% of body length above floor
Lower leg is from knee to ankle joint:
9.6% of body mass
CM is 18.2% of body length above floor
Foot is below ankle joint:
3.4% of body mass
CM is 1.8% of body length above floor

Set hip joint as “0” point

For a 1.60 m tall individual
Upper leg CM=52.1-42.5=9.6 “units” from hip joint
Lower leg CM=52.1-18.2=33.9 “units” from hip joint
 Foot CM=52.1-1.8=50.3 “units” from hip joint
The % of total body mass is used as the mass for each CM while the positions of
the CM for the upper leg, lower leg and foot are the number of units from the
zero point of the hip joint. Plug these values in and solve for the position of the
CM of the whole extended leg.

mA x A + mB x B + mC xC (21.5)(9.6) + (9.6)(33.9) + (3.4)(50.3)

xCM = = =20.4 units
mA + mB + mC 21.5 + 9.6 + 3.4
52.1- 20.4 =31.7 units from base of foot =(.317)(1.60m) =.507 m

Answer C