Linear momentum is a physical quantity that describes the motion of an object in a straight line. It is the product of an object's mass and velocity and is measured in units of kilogram meters per second (kg·m/s).
The law of conservation of linear momentum states that in a closed system, the total momentum before a collision or interaction is equal to the total momentum after the collision or interaction. This means that momentum is conserved and does not change unless acted upon by an external force.
In a collision, momentum can be transferred from one object to another. The total momentum of the system before and after the collision remains the same, but the individual objects may have different momenta. This is due to the conservation of momentum.
An elastic collision is a type of collision in which kinetic energy is conserved. This means that the total kinetic energy of the system before the collision is equal to the total kinetic energy after the collision. In an elastic collision, the objects involved bounce off each other without any loss of energy.
An inelastic collision is a type of collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved. This means that the total kinetic energy of the system before the collision is not equal to the total kinetic energy after the collision. In an inelastic collision, some energy is lost as internal energy, such as heat or sound, during the collision.