- #1
nalA
- 20
- 0
Hello,
I'm having a discussion with my work colleagues, we can't agree about a physics question:
There is a red and a white snooker ball.
They are the same size.
The white snooker ball has a mass many, many, many times that of the red snooker ball.
Initially the red snooker ball is stationary
Initially the white snooker ball has a velocity x
The white snooker ball collides head on with the red snooker ball
What velocity will the red snooker ball have following the collision?
These are two real snooker balls, it is an inelastic collision.
Some kinetic energy will be lost to become other forms of energy after the collision.
Will the inelasticity of the collision change the outcome of the velocity of the red or white snooker balls? or will this effect be negligible? – bearing in mind that the mass of the red ball is negligible compared to that of the white ball?
Both sides of the discussion are completely convinced of the truth of their point of view! It would bring me great joy to learn I'm right ;-)
I'm having a discussion with my work colleagues, we can't agree about a physics question:
There is a red and a white snooker ball.
They are the same size.
The white snooker ball has a mass many, many, many times that of the red snooker ball.
Initially the red snooker ball is stationary
Initially the white snooker ball has a velocity x
The white snooker ball collides head on with the red snooker ball
What velocity will the red snooker ball have following the collision?
These are two real snooker balls, it is an inelastic collision.
Some kinetic energy will be lost to become other forms of energy after the collision.
Will the inelasticity of the collision change the outcome of the velocity of the red or white snooker balls? or will this effect be negligible? – bearing in mind that the mass of the red ball is negligible compared to that of the white ball?
Both sides of the discussion are completely convinced of the truth of their point of view! It would bring me great joy to learn I'm right ;-)