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Sandeep T S
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Why momentum conserved in elastic collision and inelastic collision? Please attach mathematical proof too
P^2/2m ,I got itDoc Al said:Consider Newton's 3rd law.
In elastic collisions, the total momentum of the system is conserved because there is no external force acting on the system. This means that the initial momentum of the objects before the collision is equal to the final momentum of the objects after the collision.
In inelastic collisions, the total momentum of the system is also conserved because there is still no external force acting on the system. However, some of the initial kinetic energy is converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or sound, resulting in a decrease in the final velocity of the objects.
The equation for momentum is: p = m x v, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity. This equation applies to both elastic and inelastic collisions, and can be used to calculate the momentum of individual objects or the total momentum of a system.
Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of collisions, this means that the force exerted by one object on another is equal and opposite to the force exerted by the second object on the first. This results in the conservation of momentum, as the total momentum of the system remains constant.
No, momentum cannot be lost in a collision. As stated earlier, the total momentum of a system is always conserved. This means that any change in momentum for one object must be offset by an equal and opposite change in momentum for another object, resulting in the overall conservation of momentum.