Momentum (AQA GCSE Physics)

Exam Questions

2 hours11 questions
1a2 marks

Higher Only

Which equations relating, momentum (p), mass (m) and velocity (v) are correct?

Tick (✓) two boxes.

   

p space equals space m over v square
v space equals space p over m square
m space equals space p v square
v space equals space m over p square
p space equals space m v square
m space equals space v over p square
1b2 marks

Higher Only

State the law of conservation of momentum.

1c4 marks

Higher Only

Complete the sentences. 

Choose answers from the box. 

Each answer can be used once, more than once or not at all.

elastic different inelastic identical

 

     

When a collision is .............................. the objects move in opposite directions.

The velocities of the objects are ..............................

     

When a collision is .............................. the objects move in the same direction together.

The velocities of the objects are ..............................

1d4 marks

Higher Only

Tony falls off his skateboard, sending it flying forward at 8.5 m/s.

The skateboard has a mass of 1.5 kg.

Calculate the momentum of the skateboard.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures and give the units.

   

   

Momentum (2 significant figures) = .................................... Units = .........................

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2a2 marks

Higher Only

A stationary leaky oil barrel is left unattended overnight next to a stationary faulty radio, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

5-9-e-2a-oil-barrel-and-radio

A spark from the radio ignites the oil leak, causing an explosion between the two objects.

State the initial momentum of the system, before the explosion.

Explain how you arrived at your answer.

You may assume the system is closed.

2b2 marks

Higher Only

State the total momentum of the system after the explosion.

Name the physics law you used to determine this answer.

2c3 marks

Higher Only

Right is defined as the positive direction. 

The oil barrel has a mass of 80 kg and moves to the left with a velocity of −3.0 m/s.

Calculate the momentum of the oil barrel.

   

   

Momentum = .................................... kg m/s
2d1 mark

Higher Only

State the momentum of the radio after the collision.

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3a1 mark

Higher Only

Force and momentum are closely linked.

Write down the equation which relates force (F), change in momentum (straight capital delta p) and time (t). 

3b3 marks

Higher Only

A car is travelling along a country road when the driver spots a speed sign.

She is initially travelling at 30 m/s in the positive direction, then slows to 10 m/s.

The driver and car have a combined mass of 860 kg. 

Calculate the car's initial momentum.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

   

   

Initial momentum (2 significant figures) = .................................... kg m/s
3c4 marks

Higher Only

Calculate the change in momentum of the car.

Forward is the positive direction. 

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

   

   

Change in momentum (2 significant figures) = .................................... kg m/s
3d2 marks

Higher Only

The driver takes 2.5 s to slow down to 10 m/s.

Calculate the braking force applied.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

   

   

Braking force (2 significant figures) = .................................... N

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1a2 marks

Higher Only

At a paintballing party, a group of children fire paint balls at each other using paintball guns.

The paintball guns have a mass of 0.5 kg each.

Each paintball inside the gun has a mass of 2.5 g.

Describe and explain the momentum of the paintball before the gun is fired.

Use the information above to support your answer.

1b2 marks

Higher Only

The gun fires the paintball forwards at a velocity of 70 m / s.

The paintball has a mass of 2.5 g

Calculate the momentum of the paintball just after the gun is fired.

1c2 marks

Higher Only

Compare the total momentum of the gun and paintball before and after the gun is fired, assuming no other forces were acting on the objects.

Use information from (a) and (b) above in your answer.

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22 marks

Momentum is a vector quantity.

Explain why.

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3a3 marks

In Figure 1, a boulderer is at rest while climbing. His foot then slips and he lands on a crash pad containing foam.

Figure 1

5-9-m-3a-bouldering-fall

He takes 1.01 s to fall.

Calculate the boulderer's speed before hitting the crash pad.

Acceleration due to gravity = 9.81 m/s2.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

   

   

Speed (3 significant figures) = .................................... m/s
3b3 marks

Higher Only

The boulderer has a mass of 75.5 kg.

From the moment he makes contact with the crash pad, he comes to rest in 0.00925 s.

Calculate the force the crash pad exerts on the boulderer.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

   

   

Force (3 significant figures) = .................................... N
3c2 marks

While landing, the boulderer bends his knees.

Explain how this reduces the chance of injury.

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4a4 marks

Higher Only

Car A has a mass of 600 kg and is travelling at at 30 miles per hour (miles/hour) to the right.

Car B is behind car A and is travelling at 40 miles/hour to the right.

The total momentum of the system is 58 000 kg miles/hour.

Calculate the mass of car B.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

   

   

Mass of car B (2 significant figures) = .................................... kg
4b4 marks

Higher Only

The driver of car B is on their phone and they crash into the back of car A.

After the collision, both cars stick together and travel forward at the same speed. 

Calculate the combined speed of the cars, giving the unit. 

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

   

   

Combined speed (2 significant figures) = .................................... Units ............
4c5 marks

Higher Only

Show that kinetic energy is not conserved in this collision.

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5a3 marks

Higher Only

Modern cars all feature crumple zones, which are designed to buckle and break in the event of a crash, as shown in Figure 1.

5-9-m-5a-h-momentum-crumple-zone

Derive the equation F space equals space fraction numerator straight capital delta p over denominator t end fraction from the equations a space equals space fraction numerator straight capital delta v over denominator t end fraction comma space p space equals space m v and F space equals space m a, where F is force, straight capital delta p is change in momentum, t is time, a is acceleration, straight capital delta v is change in velocity and m is mass.

5b2 marks

Explain how the crumple zone of the car reduces the risk of injury in a crash.

5c3 marks

Using the equation relating force and momentum given in part (a), explain why driving at a lower velocity is generally safer. 

5d4 marks

Explain whether it is safer for the passenger to crash into a wall or a parked vehicle.

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1a4 marks

Higher Only

A young girl jumps off the edge of a shopping trolley.

The trolley is stationary at the moment the girl jumps.

The girl jumps backwards.

Describe and explain, using the idea of momentum, what happens when the girl jumps off the trolley.

1b3 marks

Higher Only

The mass of the trolley is 7.5 kg and the mass of the girl is 36 kg.

Calculate the velocity at which the girl moves forwards if the trolley moves backwards with a velocity 1.2 m / s

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2a1 mark

Higher Only

A car driver brakes to stop his vehicle when he sees the vehicle in front is not moving to avoid a collision.

The driver did not stop his vehicle in time.

It collides with the stationary vehicle in front, joining the two together. 

Figure 1 shows both vehicles, before and just after the collision.

Figure 1

fig-1-q2a-5-9-hard-aqa-gcse-physics

The momentum of the two vehicles colliding was conserved.

Describe what is meant by that statement.

2b4 marks

Higher Only

Calculate the velocity of the two joined vehicles immediately after the collision.

Show clearly how you work out your answer.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

2c5 marks

Higher Only

It is a requisite of the law that all cars manufactured in the UK must have seat belts.

The driver of vehicle 1 in Figure 1 was not wearing his seatbelt when the collision occurred.

Explain why he was injured and how the seatbelt could have reduced the risk of injury.

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3a2 marks

Higher Only

The conservation of momentum applies when two moving objects collide, and no other forces act upon them

Explain what is meant by ‘conservation of momentum’.

3b2 marks

Higher Only

The conservation of momentum applies when two vehicles are involved in a collision.

Give two other types of event in which conservation of momentum applies.

3c5 marks

Higher Only

A physics teacher sets up a demonstration to teach her Year 10 class ideas about the conservation of momentum.

Figure 2 shows a straight, horizontal air track and two air track trolleys, S and T, which can move along it.

Figure 2

fig-2-5-9-hard-aqa-gcse-physics

T has a mass of 3 cross times 10-1 kg and its velocity is 1.4 m / s to the left. S has a mass of 200 g and is stationary.

When T collides with S they stick together.

Calculate the velocity of the trolleys after the collision.

Show your working clearly and give the unit and direction.

3d2 marks

Higher Only

Describe the assumptions you made when calculating the velocities of the trolleys after the collision. 

3e3 marks

Higher Only

A bullet, fired from a gun, has a momentum of 4 kg m/s before it hits a target.

It takes 0.0025 s for the bullet to be stopped by the target.

Calculate the force needed to stop the bullet.

Show clearly how you work out your answer, giving any equations that you use.

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