Problem Set 9: Collisions

AP Physics C Supplementary Problems

1. A ball of mass m and speed v strikes a wall perpendicularly and rebounds with
undiminished speed. (a) If the time of collision is t, calculate the average force
exerted by the ball on the wall. (b) Evaluate this average force numerically for a
rubber ball with mass 140 g moving at 7.8 m/s; the duration of the collision is 3.8
ms.

2. A 1,400 kg car moving at 5.3 m/s is initially traveling north. After completing a
90o right-hand turn in 4.6 s, the inattentive operator drives into a tree, which stops
the car in 350 ms. Calculate the magnitude of the impulse delivered to the car (a)
during the turn and (b) during the collision. Calculate the average force acting on
the car (c) during the turn and (d) during the collision.

3. Below is shown an approximate representation of force vs. time during the

collision of a 58 g tennis ball with a wall. The initial velocity of the ball is 34 m/s
perpendicular to the wall; it rebounds with the same speed, also perpendicular to
the wall. Calculate the value of Fmax, the maximum value of the contact force
during the collision.

Fmax Force (N)

0 Time (ms)
0 2 4 6

4. A 300 g ball with a speed v of 6.0 m/s strikes a wall at an angle of 30o and then
rebounds with the same speed and angle. It is in contact with the wall for 10 ms.
(a) Calculate the impulse experienced by the ball. (b) Calculate the average force
exerted by the ball on the wall.

30o

30o

Problems selected from Halliday, D., & Resnick, R. (1993). Fundamentals of Physics (4th ed.). New
York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Collisions 2

5. A force exerts an impulse J on an object of mass m, changing its speed from v to

u. The force and the object’s motion are along the same straight line. Show that
the work done by the force is 1 J (u + v) .
2

6. An electron collides elastically with a hydrogen atom initially at rest. The initial
and final motions are along the same straight line. What fraction of the electron’s
initial kinetic energy is transferred to the hydrogen atom? The mass of the
hydrogen atom is 1840 times the mass of the electron.

7. A body of 2.0 kg mass makes an elastic collision with another body at rest and
continues to move in the original direction but with one-fourth of its original
speed. Calculate the mass of the struck body.

8. A steel ball of mass 0.50 kg is fastened to a cord 70 cm long and is released when
the cord is horizontal. At the bottom of its path, the ball strikes a 2.5 kg steel
block initially at rest on a frictionless surface. The collision is elastic. Find (a)
the speed of the ball and (b) the speed of the block, both just after the collision.

9. A block of mass m1 is at rest on a long frictionless table, one end of which is

terminated in a wall. Another block of mass m2 is placed between the first block
and the wall and set in motion to the left with constant speed v2i. Assuming that
all collisions are completely elastic, find the value of m2 for which both blocks
move with the same velocity after m2 has collided once with m1 and once with the
wall. Assume the wall to have infinite mass.

v2i

m1
m2
Collisions 3

10. A bullet of mass 10 g strikes a ballistic pendulum of mass 2.0 kg. The center of
mass of the pendulum rises a vertical distance of 12 cm. Assuming that the bullet
remains embedded in the pendulum, calculate its initial speed.

12 cm

2.0 kg

11. A 5.0 kg particle with a velocity of 3.0 m/s collides with a 10 kg particle that has
a velocity of 2.0 m/s in the same direction. After the collision, the 10 kg particle
is observed to be traveling in the original direction with a speed of 4.0 m/s. (a)
Calculate the velocity of the 5.0 kg particle immediately after the collision. (b)
By how much does the total kinetic energy of the system of two particles change
because of the collision? (c) How might you account for your answer in b)?

12. Two particles, one having twice the mass of the other, are held together with a
compressed spring between them. The energy stored in the spring is 60 J. How
much kinetic energy does each particle have after they are released? Assume that
all stored energy is transferred to the particles and that neither particle is attached
to the spring after they are released.

13. A 35 ton railroad freight car collides with a stationary caboose car. They couple
together and 27% of the initial kinetic energy is dissipated as heat, sound,
vibrations, and so on. Find the weight of the caboose.

14. An alpha particle collides with an oxygen nucleus, initially at rest. The particle is
scattered at an angle of 64o above its initial direction of motion and the oxygen
nucleus recoils at an angle of 51o below this initial direction. The final speed of
the nucleus is 1.2 x 105 m/s. Calculate the final speed of the particle. (The mass
of an alpha particle is 4.0 u and the mass of an oxygen nucleus is 16 u.)

15. Two vehicles A and B are traveling west and south, respectively, toward the same
intersection where they collide and lock together. Before the collision, A (total
weight 2700 lb.) is moving with a speed of 40 mi/h and B (total weight 3600 lb.)
has a speed of 60 mi/h. Find the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the
(interlocked) vehicles immediately after the collision.
Collisions 4

16. Two balls A and B, having different but unknown masses, collide. A is initially at
rest and B has a speed v. After collision, B has a speed v/2 and moves at right
angles to its original motion. (a) Find the direction in which ball A moves after
collision. (b) Can you determine the speed of A from the information given?
Explain.

17. After a totally inelastic collision, two objects of the same mass and initial speed
are found to move away together at half their initial speed. Find the angle
between the initial velocities of the objects.

18. Two pendulums each of length L are initially situated as shown below. The first
pendulum is released and strikes the second. Assume that the collision is
completely inelastic and neglect the mass of the strings and any frictional effects.
How high does the center of mass rise after the collision?

L
L
m1
d
m2
Answers:
2mv
1. a) − b) -575 N
t
2. a) 10,500 N.s b) 7,420 N.s c) 2,283 N
d) 21,200 N
3. 975 N
4. a) 1.8 N.s b) 180 N
5. proof
6. 0.22%
7. 1.2 kg
8. a) 2.5 m/s b) 1.24 m/s
1
9. m1
3
10. 302 m/s
11. a) -1 m/s b) 40 J
c) explosion or compressed spring between the two blocks
12. m = 40 J, 2m = 20 J
13. 13 tons
14. 4.1 x 105 m/s
15. 38.3 mi/hr, 26.7o W of S
16. a) 26.6o below initial direction b) No, 3 unknowns and only 2 eq.
17. 120o
m12 d
18.
(m1 + m 2 ) 2