All Flashcards
What is an elastic collision?
A collision where the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved.
What is an inelastic collision?
A collision where the total kinetic energy of the system is not conserved; some kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy.
What is a perfectly inelastic collision?
A special case of inelastic collisions where the colliding objects stick together and move as one unit after the collision, resulting in maximum kinetic energy loss.
Define kinetic energy.
Energy that a body possesses by virtue of being in motion.
What does conservation of momentum mean?
In a closed system, the total momentum remains constant if no external forces act on the system.
What is the effect of friction during a collision?
Friction converts kinetic energy into heat and sound energy, reducing the total kinetic energy of the system.
What happens when kinetic energy is not conserved in a collision?
The collision is classified as inelastic.
What is the effect of objects sticking together after a collision?
It is a perfectly inelastic collision, resulting in maximum kinetic energy loss.
What causes kinetic energy to be transformed into sound during a collision?
The impact and vibrations between the colliding objects.
What is the effect of no external forces acting on a system during a collision?
The total momentum of the system is conserved.
What are the differences between elastic and inelastic collisions?
Elastic: Kinetic energy is conserved. | Inelastic: Kinetic energy is not conserved, transformed into other forms.
Compare energy transformation in elastic vs. inelastic collisions.
Elastic: No energy converted to other forms. Kinetic energy is conserved. | Inelastic: Kinetic energy is transformed into heat, sound, or potential energy.
Differentiate between total energy and kinetic energy conservation in collisions.
Total Energy: Always conserved in both elastic and inelastic collisions. | Kinetic Energy: Conserved only in elastic collisions, not in inelastic collisions.
Compare the final velocities of objects in elastic and perfectly inelastic collisions.
Elastic: Objects typically have different final velocities. | Perfectly Inelastic: Objects have the same final velocity, moving together as one unit.
What is the difference between inelastic collision and perfectly inelastic collision?
Inelastic collision: Objects may or may not stick together. KE is not conserved. | Perfectly Inelastic collision: Objects stick together. KE is not conserved.