All Flashcards
What happens to momentum when there is zero net external force vs. nonzero net external force?
Zero Net External Force: Total momentum of the system stays constant. Nonzero Net External Force: Momentum is transferred between the system and its surroundings.
What are the differences between elastic and inelastic collisions?
Elastic Collision: Kinetic energy is conserved. Inelastic Collision: Kinetic energy is not conserved.
What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?
Elastic Collision: Kinetic energy is conserved; objects bounce off each other. | Inelastic Collision: Kinetic energy is not conserved; some energy is converted to other forms (e.g., heat, sound); objects may stick together.
What is the difference between a system with zero net external force and a system with nonzero net external force?
Zero Net External Force: Total momentum of the system remains constant; momentum is conserved within the system. | Nonzero Net External Force: Momentum can be transferred between the system and its surroundings; momentum is not conserved within the system alone.
Compare and contrast momentum and kinetic energy.
Momentum: A vector quantity; conserved in a closed system regardless of elasticity of collision. | Kinetic Energy: A scalar quantity; conserved only in elastic collisions.
What is the difference between impulse and momentum?
Impulse: The change in momentum of an object. It is a force acting over a period of time. | Momentum: The mass of an object multiplied by its velocity. It is a measure of how difficult it is to stop a moving object.
Compare 1D and 2D collisions regarding momentum analysis.
1D Collisions: Momentum conservation applied along a single axis; simpler algebraic solutions. | 2D Collisions: Momentum conservation applied along two axes (x and y); requires vector decomposition and potentially more complex algebraic solutions.
What is the effect of an external force acting on a system?
The change in momentum of the system will equal the impulse of that force.
What happens when the net external force on a system is zero?
The total momentum of that system stays constant.
What is the effect of impulse on momentum?
Impulse causes a change in momentum.