Momentum

Q1. A tennis racket is used to hit a tennis ball.

The ball is in contact with the racket for 0.20 seconds and leaves the racket with a horizontal velocity of
46 m/s.

(a) (i) State the equation relating acceleration, change in velocity and time taken.
(1)
.............................................................................................................................................

(ii) Calculate the acceleration of the tennis ball assuming it is at rest when it is hit.
Give the unit.
(3)

acceleration = .....................................unit..................

(b) The tennis ball has a mass of 57 grams.

(i) State the equation relating momentum, mass and velocity.
(1)
.............................................................................................................................................

(ii) Calculate the momentum of the tennis ball when its velocity is 46 m/s.
(3)

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

(c) The bottom of a tennis player's shoes are thick and made from a material that compresses when the
player's feet land on the ground.
Explain why these shoes reduce the risk of injury to the tennis player.
(3)
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 (Total for question = 11 marks)
(Q01 4PH1/2P, SAM 0)

Q2. (a) Which of these is a device used to measure force?

(1)
A newton meter
B ruler
C thermometer
D voltmeter

(b) Airbags are safety devices used in cars to protect the driver if there is a crash.
(i) State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.
(1)

(ii) A person inside a car has a mass of 72 kg and a velocity of 13 m/s.

Show that the momentum of the person is about 900 kg m/s.
(1)

(iii) The person experiences a crash and comes to rest in 0.29 s.

Calculate the force on the person.
(2)

force = ........................................................... N
(iv) Which statement explains how airbags protect the driver?
(1)
A increase the force acting on the driver
B increase the time taken for the driver to stop
C increase the kinetic energy store of the driver
D increase the momentum of the driver

(Total for question = 6 marks)

(Q01 4PH1/2P, Jan 2022)
Q3. The diagram shows an air track that can be used to investigate motion without friction.
Air comes out through a series of small holes in the air track, which lifts the gliders slightly above the
track.
There are two gliders on the track. Each glider has a magnet.
The poles of the magnets nearest each other are alike.

(a) Explain the direction of the force acting on magnet A from magnet B.
(2)
.............................................................................................................................................

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

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

(b) The gliders collide and the magnets cause them to rebound.
Before the collision, the momentum of glider A is 0.045 kg m/s to the right and glider B is at rest.
(i) State the total momentum of glider A and glider B after the collision.
(1)

total momentum = ........................................................... kg m/s

(ii) After the collision, the momentum of glider A is 0.021 kg m/s to the left.
Calculate the momentum of glider B after the collision.
(2)

momentum of glider B = ........................................................... kg m/s

(iii) The time taken for glider B to change its momentum is 0.19 seconds.
Calculate the average force on glider B that causes this change in momentum.
(2)

average force = ........................................................... N

(iv) Give the direction of the force on glider B from glider A.
(1)
.............................................................................................................................................

(Total for question = 8 marks)

(Q03 4PH1/2PR, Jan 2021)

Q4. This question is about momentum.
Diagram 1 shows a neutron approaching a uranium-235 nucleus.

(a) State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.

(1)

(b) Calculate the momentum of the neutron.

Give a unit with your answer.
[mass of neutron = 1.67 × 10–27 kg]
(3)

momentum = .................................... unit ...............................

(c) State what is meant by the term conservation of momentum.

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

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

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

(d) Diagram 2 shows that when the neutron collides with the uranium-235 nucleus, they combine to
give a uranium-236 nucleus.

Use conservation of momentum to calculate the velocity, v, of the uranium-236 nucleus.

[mass of uranium-235 nucleus = 3.99 × 10–25 kg]
[mass of uranium-236 nucleus = 4.01 × 10–25 kg]
(4)
 v = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 9 marks)

(Q03 4PH1/2PR, Jan 2020)

Q5. This question is about momentum.

(a) Which of these is the correct unit for momentum?
(1)
A kg / m / s
B kg2 m / s
C kg m / s2
D kg m / s

(b) The diagram shows an object before and after an explosion.

The object breaks into two parts, P and Q.

The parts move away from each other in opposite directions.

(i) State what is meant by the principle of conservation of momentum.

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

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

(ii) Calculate the magnitude of the velocity of part P after the explosion.
(3)

velocity = ........................................................... m / s

(c) A child drops an egg from a height of 10 cm and the egg lands on the floor.
Explain why the egg is less likely to break if the floor is covered with a thick carpet than if the floor were
covered in hard tiles.
(3)
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(Total for question = 8 marks)

(Q02 4PH1/2P, June 2022)
Q6. The diagram shows two birds, just before bird X catches the smaller bird Y.
Both birds are travelling horizontally at constant velocity.

(a) Show that the momentum of bird X is about 5 kg m / s.

(2)

(b) The momentum of bird Y just before it is caught is 0.15 kg m / s.

Calculate the total momentum of the birds just before bird X catches bird Y.
(1)

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

(c) State the total momentum of the birds just after bird X has caught bird Y.
(1)
momentum = ........................................................... kg m/s

(d) Bird Y has a mass of 0.17 kg.

 Calculate the velocity of the birds just after bird X has caught bird Y.
(3)

velocity = ........................................................... m/s

(Total for question = 7 marks)

(Q04 4PH1/2P, June 2023)

Q7. A game is played on a table with balls of different colours.

(a) The diagram shows the white ball moving across a flat surface.

(i) State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.

(1)

(ii) The white ball has a mass of 170 g. Calculate the momentum of the white ball.
(2)

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

(b) The white ball collides with a stationary black ball.

(i) The black ball has a mass of 160 g.

After the collision, the black ball moves away from the white ball with a velocity of 5.0 m/s.
Calculate the velocity of the white ball after the collision.
(4)

velocity of white ball = ........................................................... m/s

 (ii) During the collision, the white ball exerts a force of 80 N on the black ball.
The direction of this force is to the right.
State the magnitude and direction of the force the black ball exerts on the white ball during the
collision.
(2)
magnitude of force = ........................................................... N

direction of force = ...........................................................

(Total for question = 9 marks)

(Q07 4PH1/2PR, June 2019)

Q8. The photograph shows a dummy during a test of the safety features of a car in a collision.

Before the collision, the dummy in the car is travelling at a velocity of 14 m / s.

The dummy has a momentum of 1100 kg m / s.

(a) (i) State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.
(1)

(ii) Show that the mass of the dummy is approximately 80 kg.

(3)

(b) The dummy is brought to rest during the collision by a mean force of 15 kN.
Calculate the time taken for the dummy to be brought to rest in the collision.
(3)

time taken = ........................................................... s

(c) The car being tested is fitted with airbags. Using ideas about momentum, explain how an airbag
reduces the force experienced by the dummy in the collision.
(2)
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 (Total for question = 9 marks)
(Q04 4PH1/2PR, June 2023)
Q9. Curling is a sport played on ice.
A player slides stone A across the ice towards a scoring zone.

The ice reduces friction so that there is negligible friction when the stone is sliding.

(a) Stone A leaves the player's hand with a velocity of 2.90 m/s.
The mass of stone A is 17 kg.
(i) State the formula linking momentum, mass and velocity.
(1)

(ii) Show that the momentum of stone A is approximately 50 kg m/s.

(2)

(b) Stone A slides towards the scoring zone.

In the scoring zone, stone A collides with a stationary stone, B.

(i) After the collision, both stones move in the same direction as the initial direction of stone A.
The velocity of stone A after the collision is 0.40 m/s.
Calculate the velocity of stone B after the collision.
[mass of stone B = 19 kg]
(4)

velocity of stone B = ........................................................... m/s

(ii) When the stones collided, they were in contact for a time of 25 ms.
Calculate the magnitude of the force stone A exerted on stone B in this collision.
(3)

force = ........................................................... N

(Total for question = 10 marks)

(Q03 4PH1/2P, Jan 2020)

Mark Scheme
Q1.

(Total for question = 11 marks)

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Q3.
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Q6.
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