AP Physics Multiple Choice Practice – Momentum and Impulse
1. A car of mass m, traveling at speed v, stops in time t when maximum braking force is applied. Assuming the
braking force is independent of mass, what time would be required to stop a car of mass 2m traveling at speed v?
(A) ½ t (B) t (C) √2 t (D) 2t
2. A block of mass M is initially at rest on a frictionless floor. The block, attached to a massless spring with spring
constant k, is initially at its equilibrium position. An arrow with mass m and velocity v is shot into the block.
The arrow sticks in the block. What is the maximum compression of the spring?
m mM ( m M )v mv
( A) v ( B) v (C ) ( D)
k k mk ( m M )k
3. Two objects, P and Q, have the same momentum. Q can have more kinetic energy than P if it has:
(A) More mass than P (B) The same mass as P (C) More speed than P (D) The same speed at P
4. A spring is compressed between two objects with unequal masses, m and M, and held together. The objects are
initially at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. When released, which of the following is true?
(A) The total final kinetic energy is zero.
(B) The two objects have equal kinetic energy.
(C) The speed of one object is equal to the speed of the other.
(D) The total final momentum of the two objects is zero.
5. Two football players with mass 75 kg and 100 kg run directly toward each other with speeds of 6 m/s and 8 m/s
respectively. If they grab each other as they collide, the combined speed of the two players just after the
collision would be:
(A) 2 m/s (B) 3.4 m/s (C) 4.6 m/s (D) 7.1 m/s
6. A 5000 kg freight car moving at 4 km/hr collides and couples with an 8000 kg freight car which is initially at
rest. The approximate common final speed of these two cars is
(A) 1 km/h (B) 1.3 km/h (C) 1.5 km/h (D) 2.5 km/h
7. A rubber ball is held motionless a height ho above a hard floor and released. Assuming that the collision with
the floor is elastic, which one of the following graphs best shows the relationship between the total energy E of
the ball and its height h above the surface.
(A) (B) (C) (D)
8. Two carts are held together. Cart 1 is more massive than Cart 2. As they are forced apart by a compressed
spring between them, which of the following will have the same magnitude for both carts.
(A) change of velocity (B) force (C) speed (D) velocity
9. A ball with a mass of 0.50 kg and a speed of 6 m/s collides perpendicularly with a wall and bounces off with a
speed of 4 m/s in the opposite direction. What is the magnitude of the impulse acting on the ball?
(A) 1 Ns (B) 5 Ns (C) 2 m/s (D) 10 m/s
10. A cart with mass 2m has a velocity v before it strikes another cart of mass 3m at rest. The two carts couple and
move off together with a velocity of
(A) v/5 (B) 2v/5 (C) 2v/3 (D) (2/5)1/2 v
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11. Multiple Correct: Consider two laboratory carts of different masses but identical kinetic energie . Which of the
following statements must be correct? Select two answers.
(A) The one with the greatest mass has the greatest momentum
(B) The same impulse was required to accelerate each cart from rest
(C) Both can do the same amount of work as they come to a stop
(D) The same amount of force was required to accelerate each cart from rest
12. A mass m has speed v. It then collides with a stationary object of mass 2m. If both objects stick together in a
perfectly inelastic collision, what is the final speed of the newly formed object?
(A) v / 3 (B) v / 2 (C) 2v / 3 (D) 3v / 2
13. A 50 kg skater at rest on a frictionless rink throws a 2 kg ball, giving the ball a velocity of 10 m/s. Which
statement describes the skater’s subsequent motion?
(A) 0.4 m/s in the same direction as the ball's motion.
(B) 0.4 m/s in the opposite direction of the ball's motion.
(C) 2 m/s in the same direction as the ball's motion.
(D) 2 m/s in the opposite direction of the ball's motion.
14. A student initially at rest on a frictionless frozen pond throws a 1 kg hammer in one direction. After the throw,
the hammer moves off in one direction while the student moves off in the other direction. Which of the
following correctly describes the above situation?
(A) The hammer will have the momentum with the greater magnitude
(B) The student will have the momentum with the greater magnitude
(C) The hammer will have the greater kinetic energy
(D) The student will have the greater kinetic energy
15. Two toy cars with different masses originally at rest are pushed apart by a spring between them. Which TWO
of the following statements would be true?
(A) both toy cars will acquire equal but opposite momenta
(B) both toy cars will acquire equal kinetic energies
(C) the more massive toy car will acquire the least speed
(D) the smaller toy car will experience an acceleration of the greatest magnitude
16. A tennis ball of mass m rebounds from a racquet with the same speed v as it had
initially as shown. The magnitude of the momentum change of the ball is
(A) 0 (B) 2mv (C) 2mv sin (D) 2mv cos
17. Two bodies of masses 5 and 7 kilograms are initially at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface. A light spring
is compressed between the bodies, which are held together by a thin thread. After the spring is released by
burning through the thread, the 5 kilogram body has a speed of 0.2 m/s. The speed of the 7 kilogram body is
(in m/s)
1 1 1 1
(A) 12 (B) 7 (C) 5 (D) 35
18. Multiple Correct: A satellite of mass M moves in a circular orbit of radius R at a constant speed v around the
Earth which has mass ME. Which of the following statements must be true? Select two answers:
(A) The net force on the satellite is equal to Mv2/2 and is directed toward the center of the orbit.
(B) The net work done on the satellite by gravity in one revolution is zero.
(C) The angular momentum of the satellite is a constant.
(D) The net force on the satellite is equal to GMM E/R
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19. Two pucks are firmly attached by a stretched spring and are initially held at rest on a frictionless surface, as
shown above. The pucks are then released simultaneously. If puck I has three times the mass of puck II, which
of the following quantities is the same for both pucks as the spring pulls the two pucks toward each other?
(A) Speed (B) Magnitude of acceleration (C) Kinetic energy (D) Magnitude of momentum
20. Which of the following is true when an object of mass m moving on a horizontal frictionless surface hits and
sticks to an object of mass M > m, which is initially at rest on the surface?
(A) The collision is elastic.
(B) The momentum of the objects that are stuck together has a smaller magnitude than the initial momentum of
the less-massive object.
(C) The speed of the objects that are stuck together will be less than the initial speed of the less massive object.
(D) The direction of motion of the objects that are stuck together depends on whether the hit is a head-on
collision.
21. Two objects having the same mass travel toward each other on a flat surface each with a speed of 1.0 meter per
second relative to the surface. The objects collide head-on and are reported to rebound after the collision, each
with a speed of 2.0 meters per second relative to the surface. Which of the following assessments of this report
is most accurate?
(A) Momentum was not conserved therefore the report is false.
(B) If potential energy was released to the objects during the collision the report could be true.
(C) If the objects had different masses the report could be true.
(D) If the surface was inclined the report could be true.
22. A solid metal ball and a hollow plastic ball of the same external radius are released from rest in a large vacuum
chamber. When each has fallen 1 meter, they both have the same
(A) inertia (B) speed (C) momentum (D) change in potential energy
23. A railroad car of mass m is moving at speed v when it collides with a second railroad car of mass M which is at
rest. The two cars lock together instantaneously and move along the track. What is the kinetic energy of the
cars immediately after the collision?
(A) ½ mv2 (B) ½ (M+m)(mv/M)2 (C) ½ (M+m)(Mv/m)2 (D) ½ (M+m)(mv/(m+M))2
24. An open cart on a level surface is rolling without frictional loss through a vertical downpour of rain, as shown
above. As the cart rolls, an appreciable amount of rainwater accumulates in the cart. The speed of the cart will
(A) increase because of conservation of mechanical energy
(B) decrease because of conservation of momentum
(C) decrease because of conservation of mechanical energy
(D) remain the same because the raindrops are falling perpendicular to the direction of the cart's motion
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AP Physics Free Response Practice – Momentum and Impulse
1976B2.
A bullet of mass m and velocity vo is fired toward a block of mass 4m. The block is initially at rest on a
vo
frictionless horizontal surface. The bullet penetrates the block and emerges with a velocity of
3
(a) Determine the final speed of the block.
(b) Determine the loss in kinetic energy of the bullet.
(c) Determine the gain in the kinetic energy of the block.
1978B2. A block of mass M1 travels horizontally with a constant speed vo on a plateau of height H until it comes to
a cliff. A toboggan of mass M 2 is positioned on level ground below the cliff as shown above. The center of the
toboggan is a distance D from the base of the cliff.
(a) Determine D in terms of vo, H, and g so that the block lands in the center of the toboggan.
(b) The block sticks to the toboggan which is free to slide without friction. Determine the resulting velocity of
the block and toboggan.
1981B2. A massless spring is between a 1-kilogram mass and a 3-kilogram mass as shown above, but is not
attached to either mass. Both masses are on a horizontal frictionless table.
In an experiment, the 1-kilogram mass is held in place and the spring is compressed by pushing on the 3-kilogram
mass. The 3-kilogram mass is then released and moves off with a speed of 10 meters per second.
a. Determine the minimum work needed to compress the spring in this experiment.
In a different experiment, the spring is compressed again exactly as above, but this time both masses are released
simultaneously and each mass moves off separately at unknown speeds.
b. Determine the final velocity of each mass relative to the cable after the masses are released.
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