Understand the momentum and velocit

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In summary, the question is asking about the outcome of a collision between equally massive carts with equal velocity, both elastically and inelastically. An elastic collision preserves the kinetic energy of the system, while an inelastic collision results in a loss of kinetic energy.
  • #1
aerogurl2
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Hi guys, i don't understand the momentum and velocity and when they say elasticity in the following question...

What will happen when equally massive carts collide elastically with one another at equal velocity?

What will happen when the collision is inelastic?

I am very confused. please help me.
 
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  • #2
It means "What will happen if two carts with equal mass and same magnitude of velocity ( obviously in opposite direction!) collide elastically? What will happen when the collision is inelastic?"
 
  • #3
An elastic collision is one in which there is no loss in the kinetic energy of the system, i.e. sum of kinetic energies of carts before collision = sum of kinetic energies of carts after collision.
 

1. What is the difference between momentum and velocity?

Momentum refers to the quantity of motion an object has, while velocity is the speed and direction of an object's motion. In other words, momentum takes into account the mass and velocity of an object, while velocity only considers the speed and direction.

2. How are momentum and velocity related?

Momentum and velocity are directly proportional to each other. This means that as the velocity of an object increases, its momentum also increases. Conversely, if the velocity decreases, the momentum decreases as well.

3. Can an object have momentum without having velocity?

No, an object cannot have momentum without having velocity. Velocity is required for an object to have momentum, as momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity.

4. Why is momentum considered a vector quantity?

Momentum is considered a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction. This is similar to velocity, which is also a vector quantity. The direction of an object's momentum is the same as its velocity.

5. How is momentum conserved in a closed system?

In a closed system, the total momentum of all objects remains constant. This means that the initial momentum before a collision or interaction is equal to the final momentum after the collision or interaction. This is known as the law of conservation of momentum.

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