PhysicsLAB: Momentum Practice Problems

A boy hits a 0.05-kg golf ball, giving it a speed of 75 m/sec.

What impulse did he deliver to the ball?

If the duration of impact is 0.01 seconds, what was the average force of impact?

During an automobile crash test, a 1000 kg car is sent towards a cement wall at a speed of 14 m/sec and is brought to a stop in 0.08 seconds. What was the average force of the car on the wall?

Two children, totaling 200 kg, are traveling at 10 m/sec in a 100-kg bumper car during an amusement park ride. They deliberately collide with an empty second car, mass 100 kg, which is at rest. Afterwards, the car with the two children moves off at a speed of 4.0 m/sec. What is the final velocity of the empty car?

James, a 65-kg skin diver, shoots a 2.0-kg spear with a speed of 15 m/sec at a fish which is darting past him. How fast does James recoil when the spear is initially released?

Running at 2 m/sec, Jack, the 45-kg quarterback, collides with Leon, the 90-kg tackle, who is traveling towards him at 7.0 m/sec. Upon colliding, Leon continues to travel forward towards Jack, at 1.0 m/sec. How fast is Jack knocked backwards?

A 620-kg moose stands in the middle of the railroad tracks in Sweden, frozen by the lights of an oncoming 10,000-kg locomotive traveling at 10 m/sec. Even though the engineer attempted in vain to slow the train down in time to avoid hitting the moose, the moose rides down the remaining track sitting on the locomotive's cowcatcher. What is the final velocity of the locomotive and moose after the collision?

On a hot summer day, Jack and Leon are fishing in their boat, when they decide to jump into the water to cool off. Jack, 45-kg, jumps off the front of the boat with a speed of 2 m/sec. While at the exact same moment, Leon, 90-kg, jumps out of the back of the boat at a speed of 4 m/sec. If the boat has a mass of 100 kg and was at rest prior to the two boys jumping off, what will be its velocity just after both boys have abandoned ship?