PencilGo

Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade Elastic and inelastic collisions worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Elastic and inelastic collisions

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. Using KE = ½mv², what is the kinetic energy of a 2 kg cart moving at 3 m/s, Ari?

  2. Using KE = ½mv², what is the kinetic energy of a 4 kg cart moving at 2.5 m/s, Bo?

  3. Using KE = ½mv², what is the kinetic energy of a 0.5 kg cart moving at 8 m/s, Esme?

  4. In the charts, is kinetic energy conserved, Kira?

    • Yes: 8 J before and after
    • No: collisions destroy energy
    • No: cart A's 8 J is gone
  5. In the charts, what kind of collision is it, Luz?

    Use the picture in question 4.

    • Perfectly inelastic
    • Elastic
    • Inelastic
  6. In an inelastic collision, what is NOT conserved, Noah?

    • The total momentum
    • The total kinetic energy
    • The total mass
  7. Two carts stick together after colliding. What is this kind of collision called, Pia?

    • Perfectly inelastic
    • Elastic, since they move together
    • Super-elastic
  8. Two carts collide with a loud clack and slow down more than in a bounce. Where did the missing kinetic energy go, Ren?

    • It turns into extra momentum for both carts
    • It was destroyed
    • Sound, heat and bending
  9. A clay ball hits a cart and sticks, leaving a dent. Where did some of the kinetic energy go, Tala?

    • Into the clay's mass
    • Into denting and warming the clay
    • Nowhere; it vanished
  10. In an inelastic collision, what happens to the total energy, Zee?

    • It stays the same, in new forms
    • It doubles after the collision
    • It gets used up
PencilGopencilgo.com

11th grade Elastic and inelastic collisions worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Elastic and inelastic collisions. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can find kinetic energy, KE = ½mv², and tell elastic collisions (KE kept) from inelastic ones (some KE lost) and perfectly inelastic ones (the carts stick). Momentum is conserved in all three.
  • I can find the kinetic energy lost when carts stick, and the fraction kept, m₁ ÷ (m₁ + m₂).
  • I can say where lost kinetic energy goes (thermal energy, sound, bending). Total energy is conserved.
  • I can classify trials and bounces from data. Equal carts in an elastic hit swap velocities; the same carts sticking share them.

Standard: HS-PS2-2

Words to know

elastic collision: Total kinetic energy is the same before and after

inelastic collision: Some kinetic energy turns into other forms

perfectly inelastic: The objects stick together; the most kinetic energy is lost

kinetic energy: Energy of motion: ½mv²

thermal energy: Energy stored as warmth in the objects

Common mistakes

Your child left out the ½ in KE = ½mv².

Your child gave the energy left after the collision. The question asks how much was lost: before minus after.

Your child used the wrong mass on top. For sticking carts, the fraction of kinetic energy kept is the moving cart's mass ÷ the total mass.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with elastic and inelastic collisions?

Your child left out the ½ in KE = ½mv².

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More physics

See all Physics

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records