- #1
mahela007
- 106
- 0
Imagine two small metal spheres of equal mass and size moving at the same speed in opposite direction collide with each other. Logically (without doing the math) it seems that both spheres will collide and just stop "dead" (because of equal mass and speed). I don't know whether I made a fundamental oversight in not actually calculating the results but I have a problem with the phenomenon I state above.
If the spheres collide and stop, then they would have stopped in no distance at all... that is and infinitely large deceleration. That would require an infinite force.. We know an infinitely large force is not generated in this instance so obviously the spheres wouldn't just stop instantly.. they would decelerate over a small (perhaps tiny) distance...
Where does this distance "come from"? they don't pass into each other so one would be lead to assume that the spheres were deformed... can deformation account for this discrepancy? and if so.. just out of curiosity... what if the spheres were made out of a very hard substance like diamond? ( $$ )
If the spheres collide and stop, then they would have stopped in no distance at all... that is and infinitely large deceleration. That would require an infinite force.. We know an infinitely large force is not generated in this instance so obviously the spheres wouldn't just stop instantly.. they would decelerate over a small (perhaps tiny) distance...
Where does this distance "come from"? they don't pass into each other so one would be lead to assume that the spheres were deformed... can deformation account for this discrepancy? and if so.. just out of curiosity... what if the spheres were made out of a very hard substance like diamond? ( $$ )