| Exam Board | Edexcel |
|---|---|
| Module | M1 (Mechanics 1) |
| Year | 2003 |
| Session | November |
| Marks | 8 |
| Paper | Download PDF ↗ |
| Mark scheme | Download PDF ↗ |
| Topic | Momentum and Collisions |
| Type | Given impulse, find velocity or mass |
| Difficulty | Moderate -0.3 This is a straightforward M1 mechanics question applying impulse-momentum theorem and conservation of momentum with clear sign conventions. Parts (a) and (b) involve direct application of impulse = change in momentum, while part (c) requires setting up momentum conservation with given post-collision speeds. The multi-step nature and need to track directions adds slight complexity, but it remains a standard textbook collision problem requiring no novel insight. |
| Spec | 6.03b Conservation of momentum: 1D two particles6.03f Impulse-momentum: relation |
A railway truck $S$ of mass 2000 kg is travelling due east along a straight horizontal track with constant speed 12 m s$^{-1}$. The truck $S$ collides with a truck $T$ which is travelling due west along the same track as $S$ with constant speed 6 m s$^{-1}$. The magnitude of the impulse of $T$ on $S$ is 28800 Ns.
\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
\item Calculate the speed of $S$ immediately after the collision. [3]
\item State the direction of motion of $S$ immediately after the collision. [1]
\end{enumerate}
Given that, immediately after the collision, the speed of $T$ is 3.6 m s$^{-1}$, and that $T$ and $S$ are moving in opposite directions,
\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
\setcounter{enumi}{2}
\item calculate the mass of $T$. [4]
\end{enumerate}
\hfill \mbox{\textit{Edexcel M1 2003 Q2 [8]}}