Mechanics: Momentum and Collisions

Momentum and Collisions: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 18:

Jaclyn plays singles for South's varsity tennis team. During the match against North, Jaclyn won the sudden death tiebreaker point with a cross-court passing shot. The 57.5-gram ball hit her racket with a northward velocity of 26.7 m/s. Upon impact with her 331-gram racket, the ball rebounded in the exact opposite direction (and along the same general trajectory) with a speed of 29.5 m/s.

a. Determine the pre-collision momentum of the ball.
b. Determine the post-collision momentum of the ball.
c. Determine the momentum change of the ball.
d. Determine the velocity change of the racket.

Audio Guided Solution

Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

• Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
• Identify the known and unknown quantities in an organized manner. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., m = 1.50 kg, v_i = 2.68 m/s,  F = 4.98 N, t = 0.133 s, v_f = ???.
• Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
• Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
• Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Momentum and Collisions at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

• Momentum Conservation Principle
• Isolated Systems
• Collision Analysis

Return to Problem Set

Return to Overview

View Audio Guided Solution for Problem:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32