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Question 19M.1.SL.TZ2.8

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Date May 2019 Marks available [Maximum mark: 1] Reference code 19M.1.SL.TZ2.8
Level SL Paper 1 Time zone TZ2
Command term Question number 8 Adapted from N/A
8.
[Maximum mark: 1]
19M.1.SL.TZ2.8

A table-tennis ball of mass 3 g is fired with a speed of 10 m s-1 from a stationary toy gun of mass 0.600 kg. The gun and ball are an isolated system.

What are the recoil speed of the toy gun and the total momentum of the system immediately after the gun is fired?

[1]

Markscheme

A

Examiners report

This question gives good discrimination at both levels with the correct response, A, being the most popular at HL. Response B was second most popular at HL and most popular by a small margin at SL, however a significant number of candidates chose the other responses at both levels. Realising the gun and ball are initially at rest and momentum must be conserved leads to a zero momentum after firing, immediately removing options B and D.