Linear Momentum & Impulse (College Board AP® Physics 1: Algebra-Based)

Exam Questions

6 mins6 questions
1
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1 mark

A rubber ball and a clay ball of equal mass are released from the same height and strike the ground at the same speed. The rubber ball bounces off the ground, while the clay ball sticks to it.

Which ball delivers a larger impulse to the ground, and why?

  • The clay ball delivers a larger impulse because it sticks to the ground

  • The rubber ball delivers a larger impulse because it bounces off the ground

  • They deliver equal impulses because the change in momentum is the same

  • Neither ball delivers an impulse because the momentum of the ground doesn't change

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2
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An airsoft gun fires 0.40 g spherical pellets at a rate of 100 pellets per minute. The pellets leave the airsoft gun at a velocity of 45 m/s and strike a fixed steel block. The pellets rebound off the block with the same velocity as they were fired.

Which of the following is most nearly the magnitude of the average force exerted on the steel block by the stream of pellets?

  • 6 space mN

  • 18 space mN

  • 30 space mN

  • 60 space mN

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31 mark

A cannonball of mass 10 kg is fired at a speed of 24 m/s and an angle of 60° above the horizontal. At the peak of its trajectory, it passes straight through a wall and loses 75% of its kinetic energy.

What is the magnitude of the impulse exerted by the cannonball on the wall?

  • 16 space kg times straight m divided by straight s

  • 60 space kg times straight m divided by straight s

  • 90 space kg times straight m divided by straight s

  • 120 space kg times straight m divided by straight s

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4
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Diagram showing an object with mass m and velocity v striking a surface at an angle θ and reflecting with the same angle θ.

A ball of mass m with speed v strikes a wall at an angle theta to the normal, as shown in the diagram. It then rebounds with the same speed and at the same angle.

What is the magnitude of the impulse delivered to the wall by the ball?

  • m v space sin space theta

  • m v space cos space theta

  • 2 m v space sin space theta

  • 2 m v space cos space theta

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5
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The graph shows the force acting on an object as a function of time. The object has a mass of 2 kg and a velocity of -3.0 m/s when t = 0.

Graph of force versus time with force peaking at 6 N at 3 seconds, starting at 0, rising linearly, then declining to 4 N at 5 seconds.

Which of the following is most nearly the velocity of the object at t = 5 s?

  • 6.5 space straight m divided by straight s

  • 7.0 space straight m divided by straight s

  • 9.5 space straight m divided by straight s

  • 10.0 space straight m divided by straight s

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6
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Graph with points A (0,0), B (1,8), C (1.5,8), D (2,0), and E (2,-5). X-axis is time (t) in seconds, Y-axis is momentum (p) in kg·m/s, ranges from 0 to 10.

A cart moves along a straight line while a varying net force is exerted on it in the direction of its motion. The graph shows the cart’s momentum p as a function of time t. The five labeled points divide the graph into four sections.

Which of the following correctly ranks the magnitude of the average net force on the cart during the four sections of the graph?

  • F subscript C D end subscript space greater than space F subscript A B end subscript space greater than space F subscript B C end subscript space greater than space F subscript D E end subscript

  • F subscript B C end subscript space greater than space F subscript A B end subscript space greater than space F subscript C D end subscript space greater than space F subscript D E end subscript

  • F subscript A B end subscript space greater than space F subscript B C end subscript space greater than space F subscript D E end subscript space greater than space F subscript C D end subscript

  • F subscript C D end subscript space greater than space F subscript A B end subscript space greater than space F subscript D E end subscript space greater than space F subscript B C end subscript

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