Collisions in two dimensionsEdexcel A-Level Physics: Mind map

Exam questions on Collisions in two dimensions

1. A snooker cue ball of mass 0.17 kg, travelling at 2.0 m s⁻¹, strikes a stationary ball of identical mass. After the collision the cue ball moves at 1.2 m s⁻¹ at 53° to its original direction, and the other ball moves off at 1.6 m s⁻¹ on the other side of the original direction.
   Calculate the angle between the direction of motion of the second ball and the original direction of the cue ball.2 marks
2. A car of mass 1500 kg travelling east at 12 m s⁻¹ collides at a junction with a van of mass 1000 kg travelling north at 15 m s⁻¹. The vehicles lock together and move off as one body.
   Calculate the speed of the wreckage immediately after the collision.2 marks
3. A neutron of mass 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg and momentum 3.34 × 10⁻²¹ kg m s⁻¹ collides with a stationary proton, whose mass can be taken as 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg. After the collision the neutron has momentum 2.74 × 10⁻²¹ kg m s⁻¹ at 35° to its original direction, and the proton has momentum 1.92 × 10⁻²¹ kg m s⁻¹ at 55° on the other side of the original direction.
   Show that the kinetic energy of a non-relativistic particle of mass m and momentum p is p²/2m, and use it to calculate the initial kinetic energy of the neutron.3 marks