Calculating Ball Speed and Direction After 2D Collision: Game Programming Tips

[Cruncher]

Okay this is a question about after two balls collide knowing their speeds and directions and mass before collision, what is their speed and direction after collision in two dimensional space.


more specifically i need to know this because i am programming a game in which i need accurate ball behavior so, assuming collision occurs at the origin, and ball one comes from x degrees and ball 2 comes from x degrees, and i know their speeds, and can make up a mass for them based on their size,

how do i figure out their direction and speed? also note that at this point i am ignoring friction or anyother outside forces, but that will change in later development

thanks for any help and guidance you could give me

Cruncher,

 

[w3390]

You need to use the equation for collisions. I don't know whether in your case it is elastic or inelastic. Write an equation for each dimension, one for all momentum in the x direction and one for all the momentum in the y direction.

 

[Cruncher]

it is not elastic, it is as though 2 billiard balls hit each other.. do you know where i could find these equations? thanks

Cruncher

 

[TurtleMeister]

I think you mean elastic collision?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_collision

I agree with w3390. You will need to use two equations for each ball, one for x-axis the other for y axis.