Conservation of Momentum

Multiple Choice

While driving along the highway you collide head-on with a bug. Which of the following is equal for the car and the bug?

• Force of impact

• Impulse

• Change in momentum

• All of these

• None of these

Open Ended

A cannon fires a cannonball. What will happen according to

(a) Newton's third law

(b) Law of conservation of momentum

Multiple Choice

Two identical cars are moving towards each other at the same speed and crash, coming to a stop. Is this an example of momentum conservation?

• Yes, the total momentum was zero both before and after the collision

• No, all the momentum left the system because of the crash

• No, all the momentum left the system because of friction

• Yes, because the law says so, but I don't know why

Multiple Choice

Train car A is moving toward identical train car B that is at rest. When they collide, both cars couple (stick) together. Compared with the initial speed of train car A, the speed of the coupled train cars is

• The same

• Half (1/2)

• Double (2x)

• None of the above

Multiple Select

For which example(s) should you use impulse-momentum and NOT conservation of momentum? (Select all correct answers)

• Example 1

• Example 2

• Example 3

• It is okay to use conservation of momentum in all three cases