What is the relationship between mass, velocity, and force in a collision?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between mass, velocity, and force during collisions, specifically examining scenarios involving objects of different masses and momenta. Participants explore concepts related to momentum conservation, elastic and inelastic collisions, and the implications of mass differences on the outcomes of collisions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question why two objects with equal momentum but different masses would exert different forces on a stationary object during a collision.
  • Others suggest that the question could be clarified by framing it properly and analyzing it using the laws of conservation of energy and momentum.
  • One participant proposes that in a collision between two objects of equal mass, a perfect transfer of momentum occurs, while this does not happen when the masses differ.
  • Another participant emphasizes that equal momentum does not imply equal interactions due to differing masses and velocities.
  • Some participants discuss the mathematical relationships governing momentum and energy conservation, suggesting that writing out equations is essential for understanding the interactions.
  • There is mention of the role of inertia in determining the nature of interactions during collisions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the implications of mass and momentum in collisions, with no consensus reached on the specific outcomes or interpretations of the scenarios presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants indicate that assumptions about the nature of collisions (elastic vs. inelastic) and the specific values of mass and velocity are important but remain unspecified in the discussion.

Karan Punjabi
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Guys i want to ask if there is a object of a certain mass at rest and if another object of greater mass coming with a velocity will collide to it and will act a force on it and if there is another object with mass equal to the mass of the object at rest but the condition is one with greater mass and one with same mass has the same momentum then why they don't act the same force on the object at rest? Sorry for my bad grammar
 
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Karan Punjabi said:
Guys i want to ask if there is a object of a certain mass at rest and if another object of greater mass coming with a velocity will collide to it and will act a force on it and if there is another object with mass equal to the mass of the object at rest but the condition is one with greater mass and one with same mass has the same momentum then why they don't act the same force on the object at rest? Sorry for my bad grammar

Your post not only have "bad grammar", but you need to learn to use proper punctuation and not produce run-on sentences. I mean, read it again from the perspective of someone who can't see what you are imagining in your head. Can you understand what you just wrote?

One of the things that you will learn in this forum is the art of communication via writing. It is also emphasized in the forum rules that you had agreed to. So this is a good time to learn. Repost your question and try to be as CLEAR as possible by putting yourself into the shoes of someone else who have no clue on what you are thinking of.

Zz.
 
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i will advise you frame the question properly and then analyse it using the law of conservation of energy and momentum ? elaborate it say by assuming mass values and velocities . then say whether collision is elastic or inelastic etc.
 
A object x is at rest Case 1 that another object y with greater mass than object x is having a certain momentum collided with object x. Case 2 Object z having equal mass as the object x is coming with a momentum equal to object y and get collide to object x. Now my question is after both cases object x has different momentum but why the object y and z have same momentum. The collision is elastic.
 
i think you should write the pair of equations representing the conservation of momenta and energy and solve for the velocity of the particles after collision- this you will find in any inter level book say Resnick and Halliday's principles of physics /or even wikipedia .org on the net - and you will see interesting situations of exchange of momentum and energies constrained by the ratio of masses which are hitting each other.In case II of your question i have a hunch that the bodies are having same mass so they should exchange their momentum.
 
Verma S.P. said:
i think you should write the pair of equations representing the conservation of momenta and energy and solve for the velocity of the particles after collision- this you will find in any inter level book say Resnick and Halliday's principles of physics /or even wikipedia .org on the net - and you will see interesting situations of exchange of momentum and energies constrained by the ratio of masses which are hitting each other.In case II of your question i have a hunch that the bodies are having same mass so they should exchange their momentum.
Yeah I have watched this @www.simbucket.com ... Its a website for simulation but that's not my question that what will be the velocities of objects after collision. I want to ask if object y and z have same momentum then why object x have different momentum in both cases?
 
When you write conservation of momentum and energy equations in the second case- you will find that incoming body and the static body have same mass ,so a perfect transfer of momentum will take place and the static one will take the velocity and the energy and will move on but in the first case that will not happen as masses are different. but one would have to write the equations and see for solutions-to get confidence on the results-that is how physics works -there is no shortcuts!
 
Verma S.P. said:
When you write conservation of momentum and energy equations in the second case- you will find that incoming body and the static body have same mass ,so a perfect transfer of momentum will take place and the static one will take the velocity and the energy and will move on but in the first case that will not happen as masses are different. but one would have to write the equations and see for solutions-to get confidence on the results-that is how physics works -there is no shortcuts!
Ohk thankyou for the help
 
Karan Punjabi, the equality of moments does not mean the equality of interactions. The bodies of an equal momentumes and different velocities have different masses therefore they will interact differently. The rest is math of momentum and energy conservation laws.
 
  • #10
IgorIGP said:
Karan Punjabi, the equality of moments does not mean the equality of interactions. The bodies of an equal momentumes and different velocities have different masses therefore they will interact differently. The rest is math of momentum and energy conservation laws.
Yeah I wanted this type of explanation but I'm not getting satisfied by this...different types of interaction depends on inertia correct ?
 
  • #11
Karan Punjabi said:
depends on inertia correct
Yes. When the two bodies are interacting they are acting by the equal forces one to each other. At each time interval while they are in forced contact:
F\cdot \Delta t= m \cdot \Delta v
for each of a body (non relativistic case)
they interact synchronously so they have the same time \Delta t
the forces by the III Newton law are equal too
This means that while exchanging by the equal portions of momentum, they will have different velocity сhanges because they have different masses. It can be described as:
m\cdot \Delta V = M\cdot \Delta u
 
  • #12
IgorIGP said:
Yes. When the two bodies are interacting they are acting by the equal forces one to each other. At each time interval while they are in forced contact:
F\cdot \Delta t= m \cdot \Delta v
for each of a body (non relativistic case)
they interact synchronously so they have the same time \Delta t
the forces by the III Newton law are equal too
This means that while exchanging by the equal portions of momentum, they will have different velocity сhanges because they have different masses. It can be described as:
m\cdot \Delta V = M\cdot \Delta u
Got you.
 
  • #13
Karan Punjabi said:
Got you.
Have you wished to say something like "Thank you, I caught it"?
 
  • #14
IgorIGP said:
Have you wished to say something like "Thank you, I caught it"?
Yes Thank you I caught it
 
  • #15
Karan Punjabi said:
Yes Thank you I caught it
You are welcome:smile:
 

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