Bob M.
asked • 01/27/20Collision problem (inelastic or elastic?)
Ball X with an initial sped of 5 m/s and a mass of 3kg collides with ball "Y", which is initially at rest with a mass of 1kg. After the collision, ball "X" has a speed of 1 m/s. Is this a elastic or inelastic collision.
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1 Expert Answer
Mark H. answered • 01/27/20
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Let's assume it is head-on.
The momentum before the collision is 5 * 3 = 15kg*m/sec
After the collision, Ball Y has a momentum of 1. Therefore, Ball X must have momentum of 15-1 = 14, giving it a velocity of 14/5 = 2.8
Next, compute the energies:
Ball X, before: 5/2 * 32 = 22.5
Ball X, after: 5/2 * 2.82 = 19.6
Ball Y, after: 1/2 * 12 = 0.5
Total energy after the collision = 21.1, so energy is not conserved
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Thomas H.
Bob, Is this a one-dimensional collision? if so, after the collision, is ball X moving in the same direction as it was before the collision or does it recoil? if it's a two dimensional collision, you would need to indicate the angle of ball X's velocity after the collision relative to it's velocity before the collision. Tom01/27/20