All Flashcards
What are the differences between elastic and inelastic collisions?
Elastic: Kinetic energy is conserved, objects bounce off each other. Inelastic: Kinetic energy is not conserved, objects may stick together.
Compare and contrast momentum and impulse.
Momentum: A measure of an object's motion (mass x velocity). Impulse: Change in momentum, equal to force x time.
What are the key differences between elastic and inelastic collisions?
Elastic: Kinetic energy is conserved. Inelastic: Kinetic energy is not conserved, often converted to heat/sound.
Compare momentum before and after a collision in an isolated system.
Total momentum before a collision equals total momentum after a collision (conservation of momentum).
Compare kinetic energy before and after an elastic collision.
Total kinetic energy before an elastic collision equals total kinetic energy after the collision.
Compare kinetic energy before and after an inelastic collision.
Total kinetic energy before an inelastic collision is greater than the total kinetic energy after the collision. Kinetic energy is lost to other forms of energy.
Differentiate between positive and negative momentum.
Positive momentum: motion to the right or upwards. Negative momentum: motion to the left or downwards.
What is the effect of increasing the time of impact during a collision?
Increasing the time of impact reduces the force experienced, given a constant impulse (change in momentum).
What is the effect of applying a net force on an object for a certain time interval?
The object experiences an impulse, resulting in a change in its momentum.
What happens to the total momentum of a closed system during a collision?
The total momentum remains constant (is conserved).