Impulse and Collisions in 2D PhysicsAndMathsTutor.

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Impulse and Collisions in 2D

Q1.

Which of the following are the base units for impulse?

A kg m s−1

B kg m s−2

C Nm

D Ns

(Total for question = 1 mark)

Q2.

A coil of wire is placed around the lower end of an iron rod. The coil is supplied with an
alternating current.

A thick aluminium ring is placed around the iron rod above the coil. The coil remains in the
position shown.
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The current is switched off and the aluminium ring comes to rest on top of the coil.
The supply to the coil is changed and a direct current (dc) is switched on. An upwards force
F acts on the ring for 0.05 s accelerating it to a final speed, v. The ring then moves freely
through a height of 30 cm.

Mean diameter of ring = 4.8 cm

Mass of ring = 0.019 kg
Magnetic field strength = 0.032 T

(i) Use conservation of energy to calculate the speed v of the ring after 0.05 s.
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v = ...........................................................

(ii) Use the idea of impulse to calculate the magnitude of the mean force F acting on the
ring and hence the mean current I in the ring.
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F = ...........................................................

I = ...........................................................

(Total for question = 8 marks)

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Q3.

In the game of golf a stationary ball is hit by a club. One of the aims of the game is to land
the ball on a patch of ground called the green.

The graph shows how the force F exerted by the club on the ball varies with time t as the ball
is hit.

State why the area under the graph represents impulse.

(1)
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(Total for question = 1 mark)

Q4.

A teacher is demonstrating the principle of conservation of momentum using a flat glass

surface and air pucks. Lightweight tubing supplies compressed air to the pucks which is
forced out from the bottom of the pucks. This means that the pucks move with very little
friction across the glass surface.
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(a) Explain, using ideas about molecular movement, how the puck is able to hover a small
distance above the glass surface.
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*(b) Applying Newton's 2nd and 3rd laws of motion to the collision between two pucks leads
to the conclusion that momentum is conserved.
Justify this statement.
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(c) The teacher uses two identical pucks to investigate collisions. In one collision, one puck
moves with a velocity of 4.0 m s−1 and collides with a second puck that is stationary.
After the collision, the first puck has a velocity v at an angle of 30° to its original direction,
and the second puck moves off with a velocity of 2.0 m s−1 at an angle of 60° to the original
direction.

(i) Show that the magnitude of the velocity v of the first puck after the collision is about
3.5 m s−1.
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(ii) Use the data to determine if the collision is elastic or inelastic.

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(Total for question = 16 marks)

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Q5.
The velocity v of a non-relativistic particle can be expressed in terms of combinations of the
following quantities: kinetic energy Ek, momentum p and mass m.

Which of the following expressions is correct?

(Total for question = 1 mark)

Q6.

Which of the following is a possible unit for rate of change of momentum?

A kg m s−1

B kg m s−2

C Ns

D N s−1

(Total for question = 1 mark)

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Q7.

A student carried out an experiment with coins.

She arranged a collision between a 2p coin and a stationary 1p coin. She noted the
directions in which the coins moved after the collision and determined their velocities.

(i) Show that the velocity of the 2p coin just before the collision was about 2 m s−1.
mass of 2p coin = 7.1 g
mass of 1p coin = 3.6 g
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(ii) Show that the collision was inelastic.
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(Total for question = 6 marks)

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Q8.

A series of experiments was carried out in the 1970s to investigate the structure of protons
using the linac at Stanford, USA.

An electron leaves the accelerator with a momentum of 20 GeV / c.

(i) Explain, with reference to base units, why GeV / c can be used as a unit of momentum.
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(ii) An electron with initial momentum 20 GeV / c collides with a stationary proton. After the
collision the electron is deflected by an angle of 20° as shown and its momentum is 9.1 GeV
/ c. The momentum of the proton after the collision is 11.9 GeV / c.

Deduce whether the law of conservation of momentum is obeyed.

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(iii) The collisions between electrons and the protons in these experiments are sometimes
inelastic.

State what is meant by an inelastic collision.

(1)
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(Total for question = 6 marks)

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Q9.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Rutherford carried out large-angle alpha particle
scattering experiments using gold ( Au) foil.

The vast majority of the alpha particles went straight through the foil whilst a few were
deflected straight back.

Rutherford also carried out the experiment with aluminium ( Al) foil.
The aluminium foil had the same thickness as the gold foil and the alpha particles had the
same initial kinetic energy.

The following observations were made.

Observation 1:
The fraction of alpha particles scattered at any particular angle for aluminium foil was always
much less than for gold foil.

Observation 2:
The alpha particles scattered from aluminium foil had less kinetic energy than the alpha
particles scattered from gold foil.

Explain how these observations can be used to deduce how an aluminium nucleus
compares to a gold nucleus.
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(Total for question = 4 marks)

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Q10.
In the sport of curling, two teams of 'curlers' take turns sliding polished granite stones across
an ice surface towards a circular target marked on the ice.

* Stone B is stationary. Stone A travels towards the target and makes a direct hit on stone B
as shown. Both stones have mass m.

The collision is elastic. Just before the collision stone A has a velocity v. After the collision
stone B moves off with velocity v.

Discuss how the relevant conservation laws apply to this collision.

(6)
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(Total for question = 6 marks)
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Q11.

A bullet is fired into a block of wood. Select the line of the table that applies to this situation.

(Total for question = 1 mark)

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Mark Scheme - Impulse and Collisions in 2D

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Impulse and Collisions in 2D PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
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