Momentum and Collisions

Front

What is momentum?

Back

Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity, represented by the formula p = mv.

Front

What is the law of conservation of momentum?

Back

The total momentum of a closed system remains constant if no external forces act on it.

Front

What are elastic collisions?

Back

Elastic collisions are collisions where both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

Front

What are inelastic collisions?

Back

Inelastic collisions are collisions where momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not.

Front

How do you calculate momentum?

Back

Momentum (p) is calculated using the formula p = mv, where m is mass and v is velocity.

Front

What happens to kinetic energy in an inelastic collision?

Back

In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved; some energy is transformed into other forms.

Front

What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

Back

In elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved; in inelastic collisions, only momentum is conserved.

Front

What is the formula for calculating the final velocity of two colliding objects?

Back

For two objects colliding, the final velocities can be calculated using the conservation of momentum: m1v1 + m2v2 = m1v1' + m2v2', where m is mass and v is velocity.

Front

What is a perfectly elastic collision?

Back

A perfectly elastic collision is a collision in which both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved, and the objects bounce off each other without any loss of energy.

Front

What is a perfectly inelastic collision?

Back

A perfectly inelastic collision is a collision in which the two objects stick together after colliding, resulting in maximum kinetic energy loss.