All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What do we call a collision where objects move together after impact?
Answer: Perfectly inelastic collision. Maximum energy loss occurs when objects stick and move together.
Flashcard 2: In a perfectly inelastic collision, what happens to the colliding objects?
Answer: They stick together post-collision. Objects combine into a single mass moving with common velocity.
Flashcard 3: What happens to the kinetic energy in a perfectly inelastic collision?
Answer: It is not conserved. Maximum energy loss occurs when objects stick together.
Flashcard 4: What happens to total system momentum in any type of collision?
Answer: It remains constant. Newton's third law ensures momentum conservation in all collisions.
Flashcard 5: What is the result when two objects collide elastically and their masses are equal?
Answer: They swap velocities. Equal masses in elastic collision exchange velocities completely.
Flashcard 6: What is the definition of an inelastic collision?
Answer: A collision where total kinetic energy is not conserved. Momentum is conserved, but some kinetic energy converts to other forms.
Flashcard 7: Identify the primary characteristic of a perfectly elastic collision.
Answer: Total kinetic energy is conserved. No kinetic energy is lost to other forms like heat or sound.
Flashcard 8: In a collision, if kinetic energy is lost, what type of collision is it?
Answer: Inelastic. Energy converts to heat, sound, or deformation during collision.
Flashcard 9: What quantity is always conserved in both elastic and inelastic collisions?
Answer: Momentum. Newton's third law ensures momentum conservation in isolated systems.
Flashcard 10: State the equation for kinetic energy conservation in elastic collisions.
Answer: 21m1v12+21m2v22=21m1v1′2+21m2v2′2. Total kinetic energy before collision equals total after collision.
Flashcard 11: What is the value of the coefficient of restitution for a perfectly inelastic collision?
Answer:
- No separation occurs; objects move together with zero relative velocity.
Flashcard 12: What is the key principle that distinguishes collision types?
Answer: Conservation of kinetic energy. Kinetic energy conservation determines elastic versus inelastic classification.
Flashcard 13: In a perfectly elastic collision, how does the kinetic energy before compare to after?
Answer: It is the same. Perfect elasticity means no energy is lost during collision.
Flashcard 14: Name a real-world example of an inelastic collision.
Answer: A car crash. Deformation and energy loss characterize real-world inelastic impacts.
Flashcard 15: What do we call the loss of kinetic energy in an inelastic collision?
Answer: Energy dissipation. Kinetic energy converts to heat, sound, or deformation.
Flashcard 16: In a collision, if the objects do not stick and kinetic energy is conserved, what type is it?
Answer: Elastic collision. Objects separate after collision with kinetic energy preserved.
Flashcard 17: In which type of collision might sound, heat, or deformation occur?
Answer: Inelastic collision. Energy converts to heat, sound, and permanent deformation.
Flashcard 18: In a perfectly inelastic collision, what happens to the colliding objects?
Answer: They stick together post-collision. Objects combine into a single mass moving with common velocity.
Flashcard 19: In an elastic collision, what happens to the relative speed of approach and separation?
Answer: They are equal. Defines elastic collision: approach speed equals separation speed.
Flashcard 20: During a collision, if the total kinetic energy increases, what might be occurring?
Answer: External work performed on the system. Additional energy input from explosion or spring release mechanism.
Flashcard 21: What is the key difference between elastic and inelastic collisions regarding energy?
Answer: Elastic conserves kinetic energy; inelastic does not. Elasticity is defined by whether kinetic energy is preserved.
Flashcard 22: What is the definition of an elastic collision?
Answer: A collision where total kinetic energy is conserved. Both momentum and kinetic energy are preserved throughout the collision.
Flashcard 23: For an inelastic collision, is the coefficient of restitution less than, equal to, or greater than 1?
Answer: Less than 1. Energy loss reduces the relative separation speed after collision.
Flashcard 24: Name a real-world example of an elastic collision.
Answer: Colliding billiard balls. Hard spheres approximate elastic behavior in ideal conditions.
Flashcard 25: State the formula for conservation of momentum in a collision.
Answer: m1v1+m2v2=m1v1′+m2v2′. Total momentum before equals total momentum after collision.
Flashcard 26: What is the formula for the coefficient of restitution?
Answer: e=v1−v2v2′−v1′. Relates relative velocities before and after collision impact.
Flashcard 27: In a collision where two cars stick together, what type of collision is it?
Answer: Perfectly inelastic collision. Objects join together, maximizing kinetic energy loss in collision.
Flashcard 28: Name a real-world example of an elastic collision.
Answer: Colliding billiard balls. Hard spheres approximate elastic behavior in ideal conditions.
Flashcard 29: In a collision, if kinetic energy is lost, what type of collision is it?
Answer: Inelastic. Energy converts to heat, sound, or deformation during collision.
Flashcard 30: Identify the primary characteristic of a perfectly elastic collision.
Answer: Total kinetic energy is conserved. No kinetic energy is lost to other forms like heat or sound.