Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr.

GabrieL

1.6 Momentum and Impulse

Momentum is the quantity used to measure the motion of a moving body.
Formula : Questions.
1. A car with a mass of 900kg is moving at
Momentum = Mass x Velocity 20ms-1, what is the momentum of the car?
= kgms-1

2. Calculate the momentum between the two

1. Momentum is a vector quantity. person below,
2. Momentum to the left ( - ) i) A sprinter with a mass of 54kg running at
3. Momentum to the right ( + ) 11ms-1.

ii) a rugby player with mass 90kg and running

at 6ms-1

Impulse is overall effect of a force acting over time.

Formula : The combined
Impulse = Change in momentum mass of the seat
Impulse is Force x Time. and pilot is 280 kg.
When ejection
F = ma takes placr, the
mass accelerates
v−u to a vertical velocity of 55 m s-1.
F= m( )
t
a) Calculate the change of momentum of
Ft = mv-mu the seat and pilot.

b) The change of momentum in (a) takes

place in a time of 0.25 s. Calculate the
average force needed to give this change
of momentum in 0.25s.

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Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr. GabrieL

Principle of Conservation of Momentum (POCOM)

1. State the principle of conservation of momentum.
The total momentum in a closed system is constant, if no external force acts on the
system.
Total Momentum before collision = Total Momentum after collision
3 Types of Collision
1. Elastic Collision 2. Inelastic Collision 3. Explosion

- Separates after collision - Sticks together after

- Total Momentum collision - Total momentum before
conserved - Total Momentum and after should be zero.
conserved

Formula for POCOM

Total Momentum before collision = Total Momentum after collision
m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2

Questions
1. A 10kg ball is moving at 13m/s strikes a 20kg ball at rest. After the collision the
10kg ball is moving at 7m/s. what is the velocity of the second ball?

Ans: 3m/s

2. A 2200kg car travelling at 30m/s collides with another 2200kg car that is at rest.
The two bumpers lock and the cars move forward together. What is their final
velocity?

Ans:15m/s

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Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr. GabrieL

3. A gun with mass 1.5kg fires a bullet with mass 50g. what is the recoil speed of the
gun given the speed of the bullet is 30m/s?

4.A fish of 4kg swimming at 1m/s swallows 5.Calculate the momentum of an elephant of mass
another fish of 0..5kg. If both of them are bought 2000kg moving at 40m/s
to halt after feeding. What is the velocity of the
smaller fish?

Ans: 8m/s Ans: 80,000kgm/s

6.A car of mass 1500kg traveling at 20m/s collides
head on with another lorry moving at 25m/s. The
lorry has a mass of 900kg. If the collision reduced
the speed of lorry to 20m/s, what is the cars
velocity after impact?
7.Car A of mass 1000kg moving at 20m/s collides
with car B mass 1200kg moving at 10m/s in same
direction. If the car B is shunted forwards at 15m/s
by the impact, what is the velocity V of car A
immediately after it crashes?

Ans: 17 Ans: 14

8.A bullet of mass 10g is fired from a riffle of mass 9.A car of mass 1000kg is travelling at 20m/s
4kg. If the bullet travelled 40m/s forward, what collides with a car of mass 2000kg travelling in the
would the recoil velocity of opposite direction with
the riffle be? 7m/s. what is the velocity of
both cars if they stick
together after impact?

Ans: -1m/s
Ans: 2m/s

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Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr. GabrieL

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Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr. GabrieL

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Cambridge IGCSE A*Physics Exercise + Notes Mr. GabrieL

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