Chapter 4

Center of Mass and Momentum

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100
AP Physics C Multiple Choice Practice – CofM and Momentum

1. A system consists of two objects having masses m l and m 2 (m l < m 2 ). The objects are connected by a massless
string, hung over a pulley as shown above, and then released. When the speed of each object is v, the
magnitude of the total linear momentum of the system is
(A) (m 1 + m 2 ) v (B) (m 2 - m 1 ) v (C) ½(m l + m 2 )v (D) ½(m 2 - m 1 )v (E) m 2 v

2. Two particles of equal mass m o , moving with equal speeds v O along paths inclined at 60° to the x-axis as
shown above, collide and stick together. Their velocity after the collision has magnitude
v0 v0 2v 0 3v 0
(A) 4 (B) 2 (C) 2 (D) 2 (E) v o

3. The center of mass of a uniform wire, bent in the shape shown above, is located closest to point
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

4. Mass M 1 is moving with speed v toward stationary mass M 2 . The speed of the center of mass of the system is
M1  M   M   M   M1 
(A) v ( B) 1 + 1 v (C) 1 + 2 v (D) 1 − 1 v (E)  v
M2  M2   M1   M2   M1 + M 2 

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Questions 5-6

A 4-kilogram mass has a speed of 6 meters per second on a horizontal frictionless surface, as shown above. The
mass collides head-on and elastically with an identical 4-kilogram mass initially at rest. The second 4-kilogram
mass then collides head-on and sticks to a third 4-kilogram mass initially at rest.

5. The final speed of the first 4-kilogram mass is

(A) 0 m/s (B) 2 m/s (C) 3 m/s (D) 4 m/s (E) 6 m/s

6. The final speed of the two 4-kilogram masses that stick together is
(A) 0 m/s (B) 2 m/s (C) 3 m/s (D) 4 m/s (E) 6 m/s

7. A projectile of mass M 1 is fired horizontally from a spring gun that is initially at rest on a frictionless surface.
The combined mass of the gun and projectile is M 2 . If the kinetic energy of the projectile after firing is K, the
gun will recoil with a kinetic energy equal to
2
M2 M1 M1
(A) K (B) K (C) M 1 K D) K (E) K
M1 M 22 M 2 − M1 M 2 − M1

8. A piece of wire of uniform cross section is bent in the shape shown above. What are the coordinates
( x , y) of the center of mass?
(A) (15/14, 6/7) (B) (6/7, 6/7) (C) (15/14, 8/7) (D) (1,1) (E) (1,6/7)

9. Two balls are on a frictionless horizontal tabletop. Ball X initially moves at 10 meters per second, as shown in
Figure I above. It then collides elastically with identical ball Y. which is initially at rest. After the collision, ball
X moves at 6 meters per second along a path at 530 to its original direction, as shown in Figure II above. Which
of the following diagrams best represents the motion of ball Y after the collision?

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10. A balloon of mass M is floating motionless in the air. A person of mass less than M is on a rope ladder
hanging from the balloon. The person begins to climb the ladder at a uniform speed v relative to the ground.
How does the balloon move relative to the ground?
(A) Up with speed v
(B) Up with a speed less than v
(C) Down with speed v
(D) Down with a speed less than v
(E) The balloon does not move.

11. If one knows only the constant resultant force acting on an object and the time during which this force acts, one
can determine the
(A) change in momentum of the object
(B) change in velocity of the object
(C) change in kinetic energy of the object
(D) mass of the object
(E) acceleration of the object

12. An object of mass m is moving with speed v 0 to the right on a horizontal frictionless surface, as shown above,
when it explodes into two pieces. Subsequently, one piece of mass 2/5 m moves with a speed v 0 /2 to the left.
The speed of the other piece of the object is
(A) v o /2 (B) v o /3 (C) 7v o /5 (D) 3v o /2 (E) 2v o

13. A 5-kilogram sphere is connected to a 10-kilogram sphere by a rigid rod of negligible mass, as shown above.
Which of the five lettered points represents the center of mass of the sphere-rod combination?
(A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

14. The graph above shows the force on an object of mass M as a function of time. For the time interval 0 to 4 s,
the total change in the momentum of the object is
(A) 40 kg m/s (B) 20 kg m/s (C) 0 kg m/s (D) -20 kg m/s
(E) indeterminable unless the mass M of the object is known

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15. As shown in the top view above, a disc of mass m is moving horizontally to the right with speed v on a table
with negligible friction when it collides with a second disc of mass 2m The second disc is moving horizontally
to the right with speed v/2 at the moment of impact The two discs stick together upon impact The speed of the
composite body immediately after the collision is
(A) v/3 (B) v/2 (C) 2v/3 (D) 3v/2 (E) 2v

16. Two people are initially standing still on frictionless ice. They push on each other so that one person, of mass
120 kg, moves to the left at 2 m/s, while the other person, of mass 80 kg, moves to the right at 3 m/s. What is
the velocity of their center of mass?
(A) Zero (B) 0.5 m/s to the left (C) 1 m/s to the right (D) 2.4 m/s to the left (E) 2.5 m/s to the
right

17. An object having an initial momentum that may be represented by the vector above strikes an object that is
initially at rest. Which of the following sets of vectors may represent the momenta of the two objects after the
collision?

(A)
(B)

(C)

(D) (E)

18. A 2 kg ball collides with the floor at an angle θ and rebounds at the same angle and speed as shown above.
Which of the following vectors represents the impulse exerted on the ball by the floor?

19. The momentum p of a moving object as a function of time t is given by the expression p = kt3, where k is a
constant. The force causing this motion is given by the expression
(A) 3kt2 (B) 3kt2/2 (C) kt2/3 (D) kt4 (E) kt4/4

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Questions 20-21

Two pucks moving on a frictionless air table are about to collide, as shown above. The 1.5 kg puck is moving
directly east at 2.0 m/s. The 4.0 kg puck is moving directly north at 1.0 m/s.

20. What is the total kinetic energy of the two-puck system before the collision?
(A) 13 J (B) 5.0 J (C) 7.0 J (D) 10 J (E) 11 J

21. What is the magnitude of the total momentum of the two-puck system after the collision?
(A) 1.0 kg•m/s (B) 3.5 kg•m/s (C) 5.0 kg•m/s (D) 7.0 kg•m/s (E) 5.5 5 kg•m/s

22. As shown above, two students sit at opposite ends of a boat that is initially at rest. The student in the front
throws a heavy ball to the student in the back. What is the motion of the boat at the time immediately after the
ball is thrown and, later, after the ball is caught? (Assume that air and water friction are negligible.)
Immediately
After the Throw After the Catch
(A) Boat moves forward Boat moves forward
(B) Boat moves forward Boat moves backward
(C) Boat moves forward Boat does not move
(D) Boat moves backward Boat does not move
(E) Boat moves backward Boat moves forward

23. A person holds a portable fire extinguisher that ejects 1.0 kg of water per second horizontally at a speed of 6.0
m/s. What horizontal force in newtons must the person exert on the extinguisher in order to prevent it from
accelerating?
(A) 0 N (B) 6 Ν (C) 10 N (D) 18 Ν (E) 36 Ν

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24. A person is standing at one end of a uniform raft of length L that is floating motionless on water, as shown
above. The center of mass of the person-raft system is a distance d from the center of the raft. The person then
walks to the other end of the raft. If friction between the raft and the water is negligible, how far does the raft
move relative to the water?
(A) (B) L (C) (D) d (E) 2d

25. Objects 1 and 2 have the same momentum. Object 1 can have more kinetic energy than object 2 if, compared
with object 2, it
(A) has more mass
(B) has the same mass
(C) is moving at the same speed
(D) is moving slower
(E) is moving faster

26. A 5 kg object is propelled from rest at time t =0 by a net force F that always acts in the same direction. The
magnitude of F in newtons is given as a function of t in seconds by F = 0.5t. What is the speed of the object at
t = 4 s?
(A) 0.5 m/s (B) 0.8 m/s (C) 2.0 m/s (D) 4.0 m/s (E) 8.0 m/s

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27. Two balls with masses m and 2m approach each other with equal speeds υ on a horizontal frictionless table, as
shown in the top view above. Which of the following shows possible velocities of the balls for a time soon after
the balls collide?

(A) (B) (C)

(D) (E)

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28. Three identical disks are initially at rest on a frictionless, horizontal table with their edges touching to form a
triangle, as shown in the top view above. An explosion occurs within the triangle, propelling the disks
horizontally along the surface. Which of the following diagrams shows a possible position of the disks at a later
time? (In these diagrams, the triangle is shown in its original position.)

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

(E)

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AP Physics C Free Response Practice – CofM and Momentum

1976M3. A bullet of mass m and velocity v o is fired toward a block of thickness L o and mass M. The block is
initially at rest on a frictionless surface. The bullet emerges from the block with velocity v o /3.
a. Determine the final speed of block M.
b. If, instead, the block is held fixed and not allowed to slide, the bullet emerges from the block with a
speed v o /2. Determine the loss of kinetic energy of the bullet
c. Assume that the retarding force that the block material exerts on the bullet is constant. In terms of L o , what
minimum thickness L should a fixed block of similar material have in order to stop the bullet?
d. When the block is held fixed, the bullet emerges from the block with a greater speed than when the block is free
to move. Explain.

1979M1. A ball of mass m is released from rest at a distance h above a frictionless plane inclined at an angle of 45°
to the horizontal as shown above. The ball bounces elastically off the plane at point P 1 and strikes the plane
again at point P 2 . In terms of g and h determine each of the following quantities:
a. The velocity (a vector) of the ball just after it first bounces off the plane at P 1 .
b. The time the ball is in flight between points P 1 and P 2 .
c. The distance L along the plane from P 1 to P 2 .
d. The speed of the ball just before it strikes the plane at P 2 .

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1979M2. A ferryboat of mass M 1 = 2.0 × 105 kilograms moves toward a docking bumper of mass M 2 that is
attached to a shock absorber. Shown below is a speed v vs. time t graph of the ferryboat from the time it cuts off
its engines to the time it first comes to rest after colliding with the bumper.
At the instant it hits the bumper, t = 0 and v = 3 meters per second.

a. After colliding inelastically with the bumper, the ferryboat and bumper move together with an initial speed of 2
meters per second. Calculate the mass of the bumper M 2 .
b. After colliding, the ferryboat and bumper move with a speed given by the expression v = 2e-4t. Although the
boat never comes precisely to rest, it travels only a finite distance. Calculate that distance.
c. While the ferryboat was being slowed by water resistance before hitting the bumper, its speed was given by
1/v = 1/3 + βt, where β is a constant. Find an expression for the retarding force of the water on the boat as a
function of speed.

1980M2. A block of mass m slides at velocity v o across a horizontal frictionless surface toward a large curved
movable ramp of mass 3m as shown in Figure 1. The ramp, initially at rest, also can move without friction and
has a smooth circular frictionless face up which the block can easily slide. When the block slides up the ramp, it
momentarily reaches a maximum height as shown in Figure II and then slides back down the frictionless face to
the horizontal surface as shown in Figure III.
a. Find the velocity v 1 of the moving ramp at the instant the block reaches its maximum height.
b. To what maximum height h does the center of mass of the block rise above its original height?
c. Determine the final speed v f of the ramp and the final speed v' of the block after the block returns to the level
surface. State whether the block is moving to the right or to the left.

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1985M1. A projectile is launched from the top of a cliff above level ground. At launch the projectile is 35 meters
above the base of the cliff and has a velocity of 50 meters per second at an angle 37° with the horizontal. Air
resistance is negligible. Consider the following two cases and use g = 10 m/s2, sin 37° = 0.60, and cos 37° =
0.80.

Case I: The projectile follows the path shown by the curved line in the following diagram.

a. Calculate the total time from launch until the projectile hits the ground at point C.
b. Calculate the horizontal distance R that the projectile travels before it hits the ground.
c. Calculate the speed of the projectile at points A, B and C.

Case II: A small internal charge explodes at point B in the above diagram, causing the projectile to separate into
two parts of masses 6 kilograms and 10 kilograms. The explosive force on each part is horizontal and in the
plane of the trajectory. The 6-kilogram mass strikes the ground at point D, located 30 meters beyond point C,
where the projectile would have landed had it not exploded The 10-kilogram mass strikes the ground at point E.
d. Calculate the distance x from C to E.

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1991M1. A small block of mass 2m initially rests on a track at the bottom of the circular, vertical loop-the-loop
shown above, which has a radius r. The surface contact between the block and the loop is frictionless. A
bullet of mass m strikes the block horizontally with initial speed v o and remains embedded in the block as the
block and bullet circle the loop. Determine each of the following in terms of m, v 0 r, and g.
a. The speed of the block and bullet immediately after impact
b. The kinetic energy of the block and bullet when they reach point P on the loop
c. The minimum initial speed v min of the bullet if the block and bullet are to successfully execute a complete
circuit of the loop

1991M3. The two blocks I and II shown above have masses m and 2m respectively. Block II has an ideal massless
spring attached to one side. When block I is placed on the spring as shown. the spring is compressed a distance
D at equilibrium. Express your answer to all parts of the question in terms of the given quantities and physical
constants.
a. Determine the spring constant of the spring

Later the two blocks are on a frictionless, horizontal surface. Block II is stationary and block I approaches with
a speed v o , as shown above.
b. The spring compression is a maximum when the blocks have the same velocity. Briefly explain why this is so.
c. Determine the maximum compression of the spring during the collision.
d. Determine the velocity of block II after the collision when block I has again separated from the spring.

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1992M1. A ball of mass 9m is dropped from rest from a height H = 5.0 meters above the ground, as shown above
on the left. It undergoes a perfectly elastic collision with the ground and rebounds. At the instant that the ball
rebounds, a small blob of clay of mass m is released from rest from the original height H, directly above the
ball, as shown above on the right. The clay blob, which is descending, eventually collides with the ball, which is
ascending. Assume that g = 10 m/s2, that air resistance is negligible, and that the collision process takes
negligible time.
a. Determine the speed of the ball immediately before it hits the ground.
b. Determine the time after the release of the clay blob at which the collision takes place.
c. Determine the height above the ground at which the collision takes place.
d. Determine the speeds of the ball and the clay blob immediately before the collision.
e. If the ball and the clay blob stick together on impact, what is the magnitude and direction of their velocity
immediately after the collision?

1993M1. A massless spring with force constant k = 400 newtons per meter is fastened at its left end to a vertical
wall, as shown in Figure 1. Initially, block C (mass m c = 4.0 kilograms) and block D (mass m D = 2.0
kilograms) rest on a horizontal surface with block C in contact with the spring (but not compressing it) and with
block D in contact with block C. Block C is then moved to the left, compressing the spring a distance of 0.50
meter, and held in place while block D remains at rest as shown in Figure 11. (Use g = 10 m/s2.)
a. Determine the elastic energy stored in the compressed spring.

Block C is then released and accelerates to the right, toward block D. The surface is rough and the coefficient of
friction between each block and the surface is µ = 0.4. The two blocks collide instantaneously, stick together,
and move to the right. Remember that the spring is not attached to block C. Determine each of the following.
b. The speed v c of block C just before it collides with block D
c. The speed v f blocks C and D just after they collide
d. The horizontal distance the blocks move before coming to rest

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1994M1. A 2-kilogram block and an 8-kilogram block are both attached to an ideal spring ( for which k = 200 N/m)
and both are initially at rest on a horizontal frictionless surface, as shown in the diagram above.
In an initial experiment, a 100-gram (0.1 kg) ball of clay is thrown at the 2-kilogram block. The clay is moving
horizontally with speed v when it hits and sticks to the block. The 8-kilogram block is held still by a removable
stop. As a result, the spring compresses a maximum distance of 0.4 meters.
a. Calculate the energy stored in the spring at maximum compression.
b. Calculate the speed of the clay ball and 2-kilogram block immediately after the clay sticks to the block but
before the spring compresses significantly.
c. Calculate the initial speed v of the clay.

In a second experiment, an identical ball of clay is thrown at another identical 2-kilogram block, but this time
the stop is removed so that the 8-kilogram block is free to move.
d. State whether the maximum compression of the spring will be greater than, equal to, or less than 0.4 meter.
Explain briefly.
e. State the principle or principles that can be used to calculate the velocity of the 8-kilogram block at the instant
that the spring regains its original length. Write the appropriate equation(s) and show the numerical
substitutions, but do not solve for the velocity.

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1995M1. A 5-kilogram ball initially rests at the edge of a 2-meter-long, 1.2-meter-high frictionless table, as shown
above. A hard plastic cube of mass 0.5 kilogram slides across the table at a speed of 26 meters per second and
strikes the ball, causing the ball to leave the table in the direction in which the cube was moving. The figure
below shows a graph of the force exerted on the ball by the cube as a function of time.

a. Determine the total impulse given to the ball.

b. Determine the horizontal velocity of the ball immediately after the collision.
c. Determine the following for the cube immediately after the collision.
i. Its speed
ii. Its direction of travel (right or left), if moving
d. Determine the kinetic energy dissipated in the collision.
e. Determine the distance between the two points of impact of the objects with the floor.

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1997M2. An open-top railroad car (initially empty and of mass M o ) rolls with negligible friction along a straight
horizontal track and passes under the spout of a sand conveyor. When the car is under the conveyor, sand is
dispensed from the conveyor in a narrow stream at a steady rate ∆M/∆t = C and falls vertically from an average
height h above the floor of the railroad car. The car has initial speed v o and sand is filling it from time t = 0 to t
= T. Express your answers to the following in terms of the given quantities and g.
a. Determine the mass M of the car plus the sand that it catches as a function of time t for 0 < t < T.
b. Determine the speed v of the car as a function of time t for 0 < t < T.
c. i. Determine the initial kinetic energy K i of the empty car.
ii. Determine the final kinetic energy K f of the car and its load.
iii. Is kinetic energy conserved? Explain why or why not.
d. Determine expressions for the normal force exerted on the car by the tracks at the following times.
i. Before t = 0
ii. For 0 < t < T
iii. After t = T

1998M1. Two gliders move freely on an air track with negligible friction, as shown above. Glider A has a mass of
0.90 kg and glider B has a mass of 0.60 kg. Initially, glider A moves toward glider B, which is at rest. A
spring of negligible mass is attached to the right side of glider A. Strobe photography is used to record
successive positions of glider A at 0.10 s intervals over a total time of 2.00 s, during which time it collides with
glider B.

The following diagram represents the data for the motion of glider A. Positions of glider A at the end of each
0.10s interval are indicated by the symbol A against a metric ruler. The total elapsed time t after each 0.50 s is
also indicated.
a. Determine the average speed of glider A for the following time intervals.

i. 0.10 s to 0.30 s ii. 0.90 s to 1.10 s iii. 1.70 s to 1.90 s

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b. On the axes below, sketch a graph, consistent with the data above, of the speed of glider A as a function of time
t for the 2.00 s interval.

c. i. Use the data to calculate the speed of glider B immediately after it separates from the spring.
ii. On the axes below, sketch a graph of the speed of glider B as a function of time t.

A graph of the total kinetic energy K for the two-glider system over the 2.00 s interval has the following shape.
K o is the total kinetic energy of the system at time t = 0.

d. i. Is the collision elastic? Justify your answer.

ii. Briefly explain why there is a minimum in the kinetic energy curve at t = 1.00 s.

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1999M1 In a laboratory experiment, you wish to determine the initial speed of a dart just after it leaves a dart gun.
The dart, of mass m, is fired with the gun very close to a wooden block of mass M 0 which hangs from a cord of
length l and negligible mass, as shown above. Assume the size of the block is negligible compared to l, and the
dart is moving horizontally when it hits the left side of the block at its center and becomes embedded in it. The
block swings up to a maximum angle from the vertical. Express your answers to the following in terms of m,
M 0 , l, θ max , and g.
a. Determine the speed v 0 of the dart immediately before it strikes the block.
b. The dart and block subsequently swing as a pendulum. Determine the tension in the cord when it returns to the
lowest point of the swing.
c. At your lab table you have only the following additional equipment.

Meter stick Stopwatch Set of known masses

Protractor 5 m of string Five more blocks of mass M 0
Spring

Without destroying or disassembling any of this equipment, design another practical method for determining the
speed of the dart just after it leaves the gun. Indicate the measurements you would take, and how the speed
could be determined from these measurements.
d. The dart is now shot into a block of wood that is fixed in place. The block exerts a force F on the dart that is
proportional to the dart's velocity v and in the opposite direction, that is F = -bv, where b is a constant. Derive
an expression for the distance L that the dart penetrates into the block, in terms of m, v 0 , and b.

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2001M1. A motion sensor and a force sensor record the motion of a cart along a track, as shown above. The cart is
given a push so that it moves toward the force sensor and then collides with it. The two sensors record the
values shown in the above graphs.
a. Determine the cart's average acceleration between t = 0.33 s and t = 0.37 s.
b. Determine the magnitude of the change in the cart's momentum during the collision.
c. Determine the mass of the cart.
d. Determine the energy lost in the collision between the force sensor and the cart

2004M1. A rope of length L is attached to a support at point C. A person of mass m 1 sits on a ledge at position A
holding the other end of the rope so that it is horizontal and taut, as shown above. The person then drops off the
ledge and swings down on the rope toward position B on a lower ledge where an object of mass m 2 is at rest. At
position B the person grabs hold of the object and simultaneously lets go of the rope. The person and object
then land together in the lake at point D, which is a vertical distance L below position B. Air resistance and the
mass of the rope are negligible. Derive expressions for each of the following in terms of m 1 , m 2 , L, and g.
a. The speed of the person just before the collision with the object
b. The tension in the rope just before the collision with the object
c. The speed of the person and object just after the collision
d. The ratio of the kinetic energy of the person-object system before the collision to the kinetic energy after the
collision
e. The total horizontal displacement x of the person from position A until the person and object land in the water at
point D.

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2010M3. A skier of mass m will be pulled up a hill by a rope, as shown above. The magnitude of the acceleration of
the skier as a function of time t can be modeled by the equations

a = a max sin(πt/T) (0 < t < T)

=0 (t < T).

where a max and T are constants. The hill is inclined at an angle θ above the horizontal, and friction between the
skis and the snow is negligible. Express your answers in terms of given quantities and fundamental constants.
a. Derive an expression for the velocity of the skier as a function of time during the acceleration. Assume the skier
starts from rest.
b. Derive an expression for the work done by the net force on the skier from rest until terminal speed is reached.
c. Determine the magnitude of the force exerted by the rope on the skier at terminal speed.
d. Derive an expression for the total impulse imparted to the skier during the acceleration.

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