Physics (AS & A Level) · May / June 2025 · Paper 14 · Question 9

Two gliders are travelling towards each other on a horizontal air track. Glider P has mass 0.30 kg and is moving with a constant speed of 1.2 m s⁻¹. Glider Q has mass 0.60 kg and is moving with a constant speed of 1.8 m s⁻¹. The gliders have a perfectly elastic collision. What are the speeds of the two gliders after the collision?

1. Aspeed of P / m s⁻¹: 1.2, speed of Q / m s⁻¹: 0.6
2. Bspeed of P / m s⁻¹: 2.0, speed of Q / m s⁻¹: 1.4
3. Cspeed of P / m s⁻¹: 2.8, speed of Q / m s⁻¹: 0.2
4. Dspeed of P / m s⁻¹: 3.6, speed of Q / m s⁻¹: 0.6

As printed in the paper