- #1
Vector1962
- 61
- 8
Concerning inelastic collisions: Is it true the kinetic energy after the collision is equal to 1/2 the total momentum?
jfizzix said:The smallest value the final kinetic energy could have would be the kinetic energy if after the collision the particles stick together. This value depends on the ratio of the two masses, and the ratio of the two initial velocities. It is not simply half the initial kinetic energy (though I'd have to work it out to see if that's indeed the smallest possible value over all initial masses and velocities).
In a perfectly inelastic collision, all the participants will stick together after the collision. The resulting momentum will be ##m_{tot}v_{cm}##. Yes, the resulting kinetic energy is ##\frac{1}{2}m_{tot}{v_{cm}}^2 = \frac{1}{2}\frac{(m_{tot}v_{cm})^2}{m_{tot}}##Vector1962 said:CORRECTION:
Concerning inelastic collisions: Is it true the kinetic energy after the collision is equal to 1/2 the total momentum squared divide by total mass?
An inelastic collision is a type of collision in which the total kinetic energy of the system is not conserved. This means that some of the kinetic energy is lost during the collision, usually due to the deformation of objects involved or the production of heat and sound.
The kinetic energy is lost due to the deformation of objects involved in the collision. This deformation results in the conversion of kinetic energy into other forms such as heat and sound.
An elastic collision is a type of collision in which the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved. This means that no kinetic energy is lost during the collision, and the objects involved bounce off each other without any deformation. In an inelastic collision, some of the kinetic energy is lost due to deformation or the production of heat and sound.
No, an inelastic collision cannot have a coefficient of restitution. The coefficient of restitution is a measure of the elasticity of a collision, and since an inelastic collision involves the loss of kinetic energy, it cannot have an elastic property.
Some examples of inelastic collisions include a car crash, a ball hitting the ground and not bouncing back to its original height, and a person landing on a trampoline and not bouncing back to their original height. In all of these examples, some of the kinetic energy is lost due to deformation or the production of heat and sound.