Skip to content

Physics Playground

Simulations How we teach Pricing

Language

Log in Start learning free

Loading…

Physics Playground

Built on open, peer-reviewed sources: OpenStax, The Feynman Lectures on Physics, HyperPhysics, NASA and NIST. See our sources.

Learn

Physics course
Math for Physics
Start with the math toolkit
Simulations
Glossary
Exercises
Past exams
Library
How we teach

Company

Pricing
Terms
Privacy
Contact

© 2026 Physics Playground. Made for the curious.Language

Momentum and collisions exercises · Physics Playground

ExercisesPhysics

Momentum and collisions

13 problems with worked solutions, from Physics and College Physics.

Start with a random one

Learn it first: Momentum & Collisions

Physics8.1 Linear Momentum, Force, and Impulse

ExampleCalculating Momentum: A Football Player and a Football(a) Calculate the momentum of a 110 kg football player running at 8 m/s. (b) Compare the player’s momentum with the momentum of a 0.410 kg football thrown hard at a speed of 25 m/s.
ExampleCalculating Force: Venus Williams’ RacquetDuring the 2007 French Open, Venus Williams (Figure 8.3) hit the fastest recorded serve in a premier women’s match, reaching a speed of 58 m/s (209 km/h). What was the average force exerted on the 0.057 kg tennis…With a figure

Physics8.3 Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

ExampleCalculating Velocity: Inelastic Collision of a Puck and a GoalieFind the recoil velocity of a 70 kg ice hockey goalie who catches a 0.150-kg hockey puck slapped at him at a velocity of 35 m/s. Assume that the goalie is at rest before catching the puck, and friction between the…With a figure
ExampleCalculating Final Velocity: Elastic Collision of Two CartsTwo hard, steel carts collide head-on and then ricochet off each other in opposite directions on a frictionless surface (see Figure 8.10). Cart 1 has a mass of 0.350 kg and an initial velocity of 2 m/s. Cart 2 has a…With a figure
ExampleCalculating Final Velocity in a Two-Dimensional CollisionSuppose the following experiment is performed (Figure 8.11). An object of mass 0.250 kg (m1) is slid on a frictionless surface into a dark room, where it strikes an initially stationary object of mass 0.400 kg (m2).…With a figure

College Physics8.1 Linear Momentum and Force

Example 8.1Calculating Momentum: A Football Player and a Football(a) Calculate the momentum of a 110-kg football player running at 8.00 m/s. (b) Compare the player’s momentum with the momentum of a hard-thrown 0.410-kg football that has a speed of 25.0 m/s.
Example 8.2Calculating Force: Venus Williams’ RacquetDuring the 2007 French Open, Venus Williams hit the fastest recorded serve in a premier women’s match, reaching a speed of 58 m/s (209 km/h). What is the average force exerted on the 0.057-kg tennis ball by Venus…

College Physics8.2 Impulse

Example 8.3Calculating Magnitudes of Impulses: Two Billiard Balls Striking a Rigid WallTwo identical billiard balls strike a rigid wall with the same speed, and are reflected without any change of speed. The first ball strikes perpendicular to the wall. The second ball strikes the wall at an angle of…

College Physics8.4 Elastic Collisions in One Dimension

Example 8.4Calculating Velocities Following an Elastic CollisionCalculate the velocities of two objects following an elastic collision, given that m1 = 0. 500 kg, m2 = 3. 50 kg, v1 = 4. 00 m/s, and v2 = 0. 8.36

College Physics8.5 Inelastic Collisions in One Dimension

Example 8.5Calculating Velocity and Change in Kinetic Energy: Inelastic Collision of a Puck and a Goalie(a) Find the recoil velocity of a 70.0-kg ice hockey goalie, originally at rest, who catches a 0.150-kg hockey puck slapped at him at a velocity of 35.0 m/s. (b) How much kinetic energy is lost during the collision?…With a figure
Example 8.6Calculating Final Velocity and Energy Release: Two Carts CollideIn the collision pictured in Figure 8.10, two carts collide inelastically. Cart 1 (denoted m1 carries a spring which is initially compressed. During the collision, the spring releases its potential energy and…

College Physics8.6 Collisions of Point Masses in Two Dimensions

Example 8.7Determining the Final Velocity of an Unseen Object from the Scattering of Another ObjectSuppose the following experiment is performed. A 0.250-kg object m1 is slid on a frictionless surface into a dark room, where it strikes an initially stationary object with mass of 0.400 kg m2. The 0.250-kg object…

College Physics8.7 Introduction to Rocket Propulsion

Example 8.8Calculating Acceleration: Initial Acceleration of a Moon LaunchA Saturn V’s mass at liftoff was 2.80×10^6kg, its fuel-burn rate was 1.40×10^4kg/s, and the exhaust velocity was 2.40×10^3m/s. Calculate its initial acceleration.