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Elastic and Inelastic Collision

1) Momentum is always conserved in collisions. 2) Kinetic energy is conserved in elastic collisions where the total kinetic energy before equals the total kinetic energy after. 3) Kinetic energy is not conserved in inelastic collisions where some energy is lost to heat or other forms of energy. A completely inelastic collision occurs when the objects stick together after colliding and move as one object.

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Santosh Rathore
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282 views9 pages

Elastic and Inelastic Collision

1) Momentum is always conserved in collisions. 2) Kinetic energy is conserved in elastic collisions where the total kinetic energy before equals the total kinetic energy after. 3) Kinetic energy is not conserved in inelastic collisions where some energy is lost to heat or other forms of energy. A completely inelastic collision occurs when the objects stick together after colliding and move as one object.

Uploaded by

Santosh Rathore
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Conservation of Energy & Momentum

in Collisions

SANTOSH KUMAR
Assistant Professor(Physics)
Govt. P.G. College, Jalore (Raj.)
 Given some information, using
conservation laws, we can
determine a LOT about collisions
without knowing the collision forces!
To analyze ALL collisions:
Rule #1
Momentum is ALWAYS (!!!)
conserved in a collision!
 mAvA + mBvB = mA(vA) + mB(vB)
HOLDS for ALL collisions!
Note!!
 Ideal Very Special Case: 2 very hard objects
(like billiard balls) collide. An “Elastic Collision”
 To analyze Elastic Collisions:
 Rule # 1 Still holds!
 mAvA + mBvB = mAvA + mBvB
Rule # 2 : For Elastic Collisions ONLY (!!)
Total Kinetic Energy (KE) is conserved!!
(KE)before = (KE)after
 (½)mA(vA)2 + (½) mB(vB)2 = (½)mA(vA)2 +
(½)mB(vB)2
 Total Kinetic energy (KE) is conserved for
ELASTIC COLLISIONS ONLY!!
Inelastic Collisions
Inelastic Collisions  Collisions which
Do NOT Conserve Kinetic Energy!

Some initial kinetic energy is lost to thermal or


potential energy. Kinetic energy may also be gained in
explosions (there is addition of chemical or nuclear energy).

A Completely Inelastic Collision is one in


which the objects stick together afterward, so
there is only one final velocity.
 Inelastic Collisions
 Collisions which are AREN’T elastic.
 Is KE conserved for Inelastic Collisions?

NO!!!!!!
 Is momentum conserved for Inelastic Collisions?
YES!!
(By Rule # 1: Momentum is ALWAYS conserved in a
collision!)
 Special Case: Completely Inelastic Collisions 
Inelastic collisions in which the 2 objects collide & stick
together.
 KE IS NOT CONSERVED FOR THESE!!
Railroad cars again
Same rail cars as Car A, mass mA = 10,000 kg, traveling at speed vA = 24
m/s strikes car B (same mass), initially at rest (vB = 0). Cars lock together after
collision. Show that the collision is inelastic..

Before
Collision

After
Collision

Solution:
Cars lock together after collision. Find amount of initial KE transformed to thermal or
other energy forms:

Initially: KEi = (½)mA(vA)2 = 2.88  106 J


Finally: KEf = (½)(mA+ mB)(v)2 = 1.44  106 J ! (50% loss!)
SUMMARY: COLLISIONS
 Basic Physical Principles:
 Conservation of Momentum: Rule #

1: Momentum is ALWAYS conserved


in a collision!
 Conservation of Kinetic Energy:

Rule # 2: KE is conserved for elastic


collisions ONLY !!
KE is NOT Conserved for In-
Elastic Collision!!
Collisions in Two or Three Dimensions
Conservation of energy & momentum can also be used to
analyze collisions in two or three dimensions, but unless the
situation is very simple, the math quickly becomes unwieldy.

Here, a moving object


collides with an object
initially at rest.
Knowing the masses
and initial velocities is
not enough; we need to
know the angles as well
in order to find the final
velocities.
Elastic Collisions in 2D
qualitative here, quantitative in the text

Physical Principles: The same as in 1D


1. Conservation of VECTOR momentum:
PAx + PBx = PAx + PBx
PAy + PBy = PAy + PBy
2. Conservation of KE
(½)mA(vA)2 + (½)mB(vB)2 = (½)mA(vA)2 + (½)mB(vB)2

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