Noncentral Elastic Collision: Return to Moving Particles

AI Thread Summary
In a noncentral elastic collision involving two particles, when transitioning from a scenario where one particle is at rest to one where both are moving, the velocity of the initially stationary particle should be added to both particles' velocities. This adjustment should be applied uniformly across the initial conditions and the resulting calculations. It is crucial to maintain the angles of the collision unchanged during this process. This method ensures that the conservation laws remain valid in the new reference frame. Properly applying these principles will clarify the dynamics of the system.
Gavroy
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hi

i am describing a noncentral elastic collision between two particles. therefore i assumed that one of them is at rest. now i want to return back to the system where both particles are moving. do i only need to add the velocity of the particle at rest to both of them and leave all angles unchanged or is there something else i have to keep in mind? i am a little bit uncertain about this whole thing.

thank you for any kind of help!
 
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This link might help: www . phi . duke . edu/courses/217/MottScatteringReport/node8.html
 
sorry, link does not work.
 
Gavroy said:
hi

i am describing a noncentral elastic collision between two particles. therefore i assumed that one of them is at rest. now i want to return back to the system where both particles are moving. do i only need to add the velocity of the particle at rest to both of them and leave all angles unchanged or is there something else i have to keep in mind? i am a little bit uncertain about this whole thing.

thank you for any kind of help!

Just take your reference frame as one in which one of the particles is initially at rest. I.e. subtract that velocity everywhere from the initial conditions and add it back in everywhere to the answer.
 

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