JEE Main · Physics · Work, Energy and Power
Collisions: JEE Main previous year questions
43 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 6 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 10 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.
- Questions
- 43
- in 38 of 108 shifts
- Years asked
- 6/8
- last asked 2025
- Weighted estimate
- 0.2
- model; history: 0.3 a shift on average, typically 0.0–0.5
Key findings
- 01
Asked in 6 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 38 of 108 shifts: 43 questions, #74 of 196 topics. Last asked in 2025.
- 02
63% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 8 repeated an idea from the year before.
- 03
The most repeated idea is Momentum in Explosions, asked 7 times in 7 shifts (2021, 2022, 2024), most often as “kinetic energy ratio after recoil”.
- 04
JEE Main has asked 17 of the 58 ideas in this topic; 35 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
- 05
Mostly asked as single correct (72%); 19% need a numerical answer, 37% are easy and 9% hard.
- 06
The skill tested most is multi-step (42%), then calculation (37%).
Questions a shift, year by year
Out of the 25 Physics questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.
Raw count: 2017: 0 in 1 shift · 2020: 9 in 12 shifts · 2021: 13 in 24 shifts · 2022: 8 in 24 shifts · 2023: 3 in 12 shifts · 2024: 9 in 18 shifts · 2025: 1 in 8 shifts · 2026: 0 in 9 shifts.
- Up to 2023
- 0.3
- a shift, of 25
- Since 2024
- 0.2
- -0.2
- Usual gap
- 1.0 yrs
- between years asking it
- Shifts with it
- 38/108
- 35% of analysed shifts
How it is asked
Difficulty, format and skill
Across all 43 questions on Collisions since 2017.
Difficulty
QUESTIONS- Easy16 · 37%
- Medium23 · 53%
- Hard4 · 9%
Format
SHARE- Single correct · 31 Q72%
- Numerical value · 8 Q19%
- Diagram based · 3 Q7%
- Assertion–reason · 1 Q2%
Skill tested
SHARE- Multi-step · 18 Q42%
- Calculation · 16 Q37%
- Application · 7 Q16%
- Conceptual · 2 Q5%
Repeats
New idea, or one asked before?
Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.
- Idea asked for the first time
- Idea asked in an earlier year
Coverage of the topic
JEE Main has asked 17 of the 58 ideas in this topic. 35 have never been asked yet.
- Asked directly17 · 29%
- Touched inside another question6 · 10%
- Never asked35 · 60%
Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.
Drill down
Chapter, idea, question
Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.
11 ideas inside
Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.
Ideas
Every idea inside this topic
17 different ideas were tested; 10 came more than once.
kinetic energy ratio after recoil
Single correct · 7 shifts · 2 numericalbullet embedded block then friction stopping
Single correct · 7 shiftsangle between velocities after 2d collision
Numerical value · 6 shifts · 3 numericalaverage force from momentum change
Single correct · 3 shiftsbullet speed from ballistic pendulum
Diagram based · 3 shifts · 1 numericalspring compression after sticking collision
Diagram based · 2 shiftscompare impulse and average force
Single correct · 2 shiftsmotion of fragments after disintegration at rest
Single correct · 2 shiftspercentage kinetic energy transferred in elastic collision
Single correct · 2 shiftsmass ratio from outcome of collision
Assertion–reason · 2 shiftsenergy loss and impact speed of rebounding ball
Single correct · 1 shiftpercentage loss of kinetic energy on rebound
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalimpulse from reversal of velocity
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numericalmaximum force from force-time graph in collision
Diagram based · 1 shiftratio of impulses on wall from oblique bounce
Single correct · 1 shiftaverage speed of repeatedly bouncing ball
Single correct · 1 shiftenergy loss in chain of inelastic collisions
Single correct · 1 shift
| Idea | Years asked | Times | Shifts | Format | Numerical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Momentum in Explosionskinetic energy ratio after recoil | 7 | 7 | Single correctCalculation | 2 | |
| Inelastic Collisionsbullet embedded block then friction stopping | 7 | 7 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Oblique Collisionsangle between velocities after 2d collision | 6 | 6 | Numerical valueMulti-step | 3 | |
| Average Impact Force Calculationaverage force from momentum change | 3 | 3 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Ballistic Pendulumbullet speed from ballistic pendulum | 3 | 3 | Diagram basedMulti-step | 1 | |
| Spring-Mass Impactspring compression after sticking collision | 2 | 2 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – | |
| Impulse-Momentumcompare impulse and average force | 2 | 2 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Momentum Conservationmotion of fragments after disintegration at rest | 2 | 2 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Fractional Kinetic Energy Transferpercentage kinetic energy transferred in elastic collision | 2 | 2 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| 1D Elastic Collisionsmass ratio from outcome of collision | 2 | 2 | Assertion–reasonApplication | – | |
| N-th Bounce Heightenergy loss and impact speed of rebounding ball | 1 | 1 | Single correctCalculation | – | |
| Coefficient of Restitutionpercentage loss of kinetic energy on rebound | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Vector Impulse in Direction Changesimpulse from reversal of velocity | 1 | 1 | Numerical valueCalculation | 1 | |
| Impulse from Force-Time Graphsmaximum force from force-time graph in collision | 1 | 1 | Diagram basedMulti-step | – | |
| Oblique Wall Bounceratio of impulses on wall from oblique bounce | 1 | 1 | Single correctApplication | – | |
| Total Distance for Bouncing Ballaverage speed of repeatedly bouncing ball | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – | |
| Successive 1D Collisionsenergy loss in chain of inelastic collisions | 1 | 1 | Single correctMulti-step | – |
Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas
Every question
Collisions questions, year by year
The newest 40 show their opening words as they appeared in the official paper; older ones name the idea they tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.
JEE Main 20251 question in 1 shift
- 3 Apr, Shift 2Q29Consider two blocks A and B of masses kg and kg that are placed on a frictionless table. The block A moves with a…
Idea: Spring-Mass Impact
MediumSingle correct · figure
JEE Main 20249 questions in 8 shifts
- 4 Apr, Shift 1Q35If a rubber ball falls from a height h and rebounds upto the height of h/2. The percentage loss of total energy of the initial system as…
Idea: N-th Bounce Height
New ideaEasySingle correct - 8 Apr, Shift 1Q33A stationary particle breaks into two parts of masses and which move with velocities and respectively. The ratio…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
EasySingle correct - 8 Apr, Shift 1Q34A player caught a cricket ball of mass 150 g moving at a speed of 20 m/s. If the catching process is completed in 0.1 s, the magnitude of…
Idea: Average Impact Force Calculation
EasySingle correct - 9 Apr, Shift 2Q33A nucleus at rest disintegrates into two smaller nuclei with their masses in the ratio of . After disintegration they will move :
Idea: Momentum Conservation
New ideaEasySingle correct - 1 Feb, Shift 1Q35A simple pendulum of length 1 m has a wooden bob of mass 1 kg. It is struck by a bullet of mass kg moving with a speed of…
Idea: Ballistic Pendulum
MediumSingle correct - 1 Feb, Shift 2Q33A cricket player catches a ball of mass g moving with m/s speed. If the catching process is completed in s then the…
Idea: Average Impact Force Calculation
EasySingle correct - 27 Jan, Shift 1Q33A body of mass 1000 kg is moving horizontally with a velocity 6 m/s. If 200 kg extra mass is added, the final velocity (in m/s) is :
Idea: Momentum Conservation
New ideaEasySingle correct - 30 Jan, Shift 1Q33A spherical body of mass 100 g is dropped from a height of 10 m from the ground. After hitting the ground, the body rebounds to a height…
Idea: Impulse-Momentum
MediumSingle correct - 31 Jan, Shift 1Q35An artillery piece of mass fires a shell of mass horizontally. Instantaneously after the firing, the ratio of kinetic energy…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
EasySingle correct
JEE Main 20233 questions in 3 shifts
- 6 Apr, Shift 2Q51A body is dropped on ground from a height '' and after hitting the ground, it rebounds to a height ''. If the ratio of…
Idea: Coefficient of Restitution
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 8 Apr, Shift 2Q40A bullet of mass 0.1 kg moving horizontally with speed 400 ms hits a wooden block of mass 3.9 kg kept on a horizontal rough…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
Asked the year beforeMediumSingle correct - 10 Apr, Shift 1Q40A particle of mass moving with velocity collides with a stationary particle of mass . After collision, they stick together and…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct
JEE Main 20228 questions in 6 shifts
- 25 Jul, Shift 2Q34Two billiard balls of mass 0.05 kg each moving in opposite directions with 10 ms collide and rebound with the same speed. If the…
Idea: Average Impact Force Calculation
New ideaEasySingle correct - 25 Jul, Shift 2Q47A bag of sand of mass 9.8 kg is suspended by a rope. A bullet of 200 g travelling with speed 10 ms gets embedded in it, then loss…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
EasySingle correct - 28 Jul, Shift 1Q33In two different experiments, an object of mass 5 kg moving with a speed of hits two different walls and comes to…
Idea: Impulse-Momentum
New ideaEasySingle correct - 30 Jul, Shift 2Q29A body moving horizontally on a smooth surface with a speed of 20 ms splits into two parts and continue to move in the same…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 26 Jun, Shift 2Q52A batsman hits back a ball of mass 0.4 kg straight in the direction of the bowler without changing its initial speed of 15 . The…
Idea: Vector Impulse in Direction Changes
New ideaEasyNumerical value - 27 Jun, Shift 1Q38What percentage of kinetic energy of a moving particle is transferred to a stationary particle when it strikes the stationary particle of…
Idea: Fractional Kinetic Energy Transfer
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct - 27 Jun, Shift 1Q60A pendulum of length 2 m consists of a wooden bob of mass 50 g. A bullet of mass 75 g is fired towards the stationary bob with a speed…
Idea: Ballistic Pendulum
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 29 Jun, Shift 1Q32A body of mass M at rest explodes into three pieces, in the ratio of masses . Two smaller pieces fly off perpendicular to each…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
Asked the year beforeEasySingle correct
JEE Main 202113 questions in 11 shifts
- 4 Aug, Shift 2Q10A body of mass ‘M’ is moving with a velocity ‘v’. It makes a one dimensional head on elastic collision with a stationary body of same…
Idea: Impulse from Force-Time Graphs
New ideaMediumDiagram based · figure - 4 Aug, Shift 2Q17A neutron of mass collides against a moderator nucleus of mass at rest. Considering the collision to be…
Idea: Fractional Kinetic Energy Transfer
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 31 Aug, Shift 1Q20A body of mass M moving at speed collides elastically with a mass 'm' at rest. After the collision, the two masses move at angles…
Idea: Oblique Collisions
Asked the year beforeHardSingle correct - 31 Aug, Shift 2Q8A block moving horizontally on a smooth surface with a speed of m/s splits into two parts with masses in the ratio of . If the…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 24 Feb, Shift 1Q23A ball with a speed of 9 m/s collides with another identical ball at rest. After the collision, the direction of each ball makes an angle…
Idea: Oblique Collisions
Asked the year beforeMediumNumerical value - 26 Feb, Shift 1Q2Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R. Assertion A : Body ‘P’ having mass…
Idea: 1D Elastic Collisions
New ideaEasyAssertion–reason - 22 Jul, Shift 2Q15A bullet of ‘4 g’ mass is fired from a gun of mass 4 kg. If the bullet moves with the muzzle speed of , the impulse…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
New ideaEasySingle correct - 25 Jul, Shift 1Q16Two billiard balls of equal mass 30 g strike a rigid wall with same speed of 108 kmph (as shown) but at different angles. If the balls get…
Idea: Oblique Wall Bounce
New ideaMediumSingle correct · figure - 16 Mar, Shift 2Q14A large block of wood of mass M = 5.99 kg is hanging from two long massless cords. A bullet of mass m = 10 g is fired into the block and…
Idea: Ballistic Pendulum
New ideaMediumDiagram based · figure - 17 Mar, Shift 2Q5Two identical blocks A and B each of mass m resting on the smooth horizontal floor are connected by a light spring of natural length L and…
Idea: Spring-Mass Impact
New ideaMediumDiagram based · figure - 17 Mar, Shift 2Q10A rubber ball is released from a height of 5 m above the floor. It bounces back repeatedly, always rising to of the…
Idea: Total Distance for Bouncing Ball
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 18 Mar, Shift 1Q22A ball of mass 10 kg moving with a velocity m/s along the -axis, hits another ball of mass 20 kg which is at rest. After…
Idea: Momentum in Explosions
New ideaMediumNumerical value · figure - 18 Mar, Shift 2Q2An object of mass collides with another object of mass , which is at rest. After the collision the objects move with equal…
Idea: 1D Elastic Collisions
New ideaMediumSingle correct
JEE Main 20209 questions in 9 shifts
- 8 Jan, Shift 1Q22A body A, of mass m = 0.1 kg has an initial velocity of ms. It collides elastically with another body, B of the same…
Idea: Oblique Collisions
New ideaMediumNumerical value - 8 Jan, Shift 2Q3A particle of mass m is dropped from a height h above the ground. At the same time another particle of the same mass is thrown vertically…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
New ideaHardSingle correct - 9 Jan, Shift 1Q3Two particles of equal mass m have respective initial velocities and . They collide…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 9 Jan, Shift 2Q4A particle of mass is projected with a speed from the ground at an angle w.r.t. horizontal (-axis).…
Idea: Inelastic Collisions
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 2 Sep, Shift 1Q3A particle of mass with an initial velocity collides perfectly elastically with a mass at rest. It moves with a…
Idea: Oblique Collisions
New ideaMediumSingle correct - 2 Sep, Shift 2Q21A particle of mass m is moving along the x-axis with initial velocity u. It collides elastically with a particle of mass 10 m at…
Idea: Oblique Collisions
New ideaHardNumerical value · figure - 3 Sep, Shift 2 · Q3Inelastic CollisionsNew ideaMedium
- 4 Sep, Shift 1 · Q4Successive 1D CollisionsNew ideaHard
- 6 Sep, Shift 2 · Q4Oblique CollisionsNew ideaMedium
Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.