Momentum | Edexcel GCSE Physics Exam Questions 2018

1a

1 mark

Which are the correct units for momentum?

$□$ A kg m s

$□$ B J

$□$ C N m

$□$ D kg m/s

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1b

1 mark

State the equation used to define momentum.

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1c

2 marks

State the law of conservation of momentum.

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1a2 marks

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Figure 10 shows a small steel ball held at a height, h, above the ground.

Figure 10

The ball is released and allowed to fall to the ground.

The height h is 1.4 m.

Calculate the time, t, for the ball to reach the ground.

Use the equation

$t^{2} = \frac{2 h}{g}$

g = 10 m/s²

t = ............................................................. s

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1b2 marks

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Two students use the arrangement shown in Figure 10.

They use a stopwatch to time the ball falling through the height of 1.4 m.

The students repeat the measurement many times, but their average value for t is different from the calculated value.

i)

Suggest a reason why the students’ value for t is different from the calculated value.

[1]

ii)

Suggest one improvement the students could make to their procedure so that their value for t is closer to the calculated value.

[1]

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1c4 marks

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Figure 11a shows a box falling towards a hard floor.

The box hits the floor and crumples a little before it comes to rest as shown in Figure 11b.

The momentum of the box just before it hits the floor is 8.7 kg m/s.

The box comes to rest 0.35 s after it first hits the floor.

i)

Calculate the magnitude of the force exerted by the floor on the box.

Use an equation selected from the list of equations at the end of this paper.

[2]

force exerted by the floor on the box =................................. N

ii)

State the magnitude and direction of the force exerted by the box on the floor.

[2]
magnitude .....................................
direction .....................................

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1d4 marks

Higher Only

Figure 12 shows a ball held in a clamp at R, above the ground.

Figure 12

The ball is released from the clamp and falls.

S is 3.8 m below R.

At S the momentum of the ball is 0.40 kg m/s.

Calculate the mass of the ball.

Acceleration due to gravity, g, = 10 m/s²

mass of the ball ............................................................. kg

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1a3 marks

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Figure 1 is a diagram showing a rocket that is sent into space to try and change the path of a small asteroid.

fig-12-paper1h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 12

i)

The rocket has a mass of 5.5 × 10⁵ kg and is travelling to the right at 14 km/s.

Which of these is a correct calculation of the momentum of the rocket in kg m/s?

☐	A	7.7 × 10³ kg m/s
☐	B	7.7 × 10⁶ kg m/s
☐	C	7.7 × 10⁹ kg m/s
☐	D	7.7 × 10¹² kg m/s

[1]

ii)

The asteroid has a momentum of 7.5 × 10¹⁰ kg m/s and a mass of 8.0 × 10⁶ kg.
Calculate the speed of the asteroid.

[2]

speed of the asteroid = .............................................................. m/s

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1b6 marks

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A student investigates the effect of a crumple zone on the force exerted during a collision.

The student has one trolley with a spring at the front and another trolley without a spring.

fig-13-paper1h-june2020-edexcel-gcse-physics

Figure 13

After a trolley is released, it accelerates down a slope and bounces off a rigid wall.
The speed of a trolley can be measured just before a collision with the wall and just after a collision with the wall.
The silver foils are connected to a millisecond timer.
The silver foils make contact with each other during the collision, so the time they are in contact can be read from the millisecond timer.

Explain how the student could investigate the effect of a crumple zone on the average force exerted during the collision.
Your explanation should include:

how to determine the force (you may wish to refer to an equation from the list of equations at the end of this paper)
how the effect of crumple zones may be shown in the investigation
precautions that may be necessary to achieve accurate results

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1c4 marks

Higher Only

Newton’s third law, when applied to the collision of the rocket and the asteroid as shown in Figure 12, can be stated as follows:

The force exerted by the rocket on the asteroid is equal and opposite to the force exerted by the asteroid on the rocket.

Explain how this statement links to the conservation of momentum in the collision.

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Expression	Quantity
change in momentum ÷ time
mass × velocity

Momentum (Edexcel GCSE Physics)

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$p = \frac{m}{v}$	$□$
$v = \frac{p}{m}$	$□$
$m = p v$	$□$
$v = \frac{m}{p}$	$□$
$p = m v$	$□$
$m = \frac{v}{p}$	$□$