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Topic Conservation of Momentum
Asked 2 times across 2 UPSC exams over 3 years (2023–2026), peaking in 2023.
Key insights
- Most tested in NDA — 1 of 2 PYQs
- Most asked in 2023
- Recurs across 2 years (2023–2026)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
NDA 2023 → CISF 2026
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (2 of 2) are since 2016.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CISF2026
Two guns A and B, which do not have recoil suppression mechanisms, are tested by firing identical bullets. Mass of both the guns is the same. If gun A recoils at a faster speed than gun B, then which one among the following is correct?
- A Gun A must have fired the bullet at a faster speed compared to gun B.
- B Gun B travels greater distance than gun A before they come to a stop.
- C Gun A exerts less force backwards compared to gun B.
- D Gun B exerts more force on the bullet compared to gun A.
Answer key not yet available (pending official release)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
NDA2023
A railway wagon (open at the top) of mass M1 is moving with speed v1 along a straight track. As a result of rain, after some time it gets partially filled with water so that the mass of the wagon becomes M2 and speed becomes v2. Taking the rain to be falling vertically and water stationary inside the wagon, the relation between the two speeds v1 and v2 is :
- A v1 = v2
- B (1/2)M1v1^2 < (1/2)M2v2^2
- C M1v1 = M2v2 ✓
- D M1v1 < M2v2
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Science & Technology › Physics & Chemistry
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