# A railway wagon moving along a track collides with a stationary wagon. After the collision, the two wagons join together and move as one. Describe what happens to the momentum of each wagon during the collision and explain how the conservation of momentum applies to this event.

> AQA GCSE Physics (8463) — 4.5.7 Momentum (Phys only) · Describe and Explain · 4 marks

## Mark scheme (4 marks)

1. The moving wagon loses momentum (during the collision)
2. The stationary wagon gains momentum (during the collision)
3. The total momentum before the collision equals the total momentum after the collision
4. The momentum lost by the moving wagon is equal to the momentum gained by the stationary wagon

## Key terms

- [momentum](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/momentum)
- [conservation of momentum](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/conservation-of-momentum)

## Related

- [Revision notes for AQA GCSE Physics (8463)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Describe and Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

---
Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-railway-wagon-moving-along-a-28da77fa) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.