Elastic collision - Revision history

Vipul at 00:49, 17 January 2010

2010-01-17T00:49:38Z

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	==Definition==		==Definition==

	A [[collision]] between two ~~(or more)~~ bodies is termed an '''elastic collision''' or '''perfectly elastic collision''' if the total [[kinetic energy]] of the bodies after the collision equals the total kinetic ~~energy~~ of the bodies before the collision. ~~In other words~~, ~~there~~ is ~~no conversion from kinetic energy~~ to ~~other forms~~ of ~~energy during~~ the ~~collision~~.		A [[collision]] between two bodies is termed an '''elastic collision''' or '''perfectly elastic collision''' if it satisfies the following equivalent conditions:

			# The total kinetic energy of the bodies after the collision equals the total kinetic enery of the bodies before the collision.
			# The [[defining ingredient::coefficient of restitution]] of the collision is <math>1</math>, i.e., the velocity difference between the bodies after collision is equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the velocity difference before the collision (this is the definition for [[head-on collision]]s; for oblique collisions, we consider the components of velocity in the normal direction).

	Elastic collisions are an ideal approximation that may not occur in practice, hence the term ''perfectly elastic'' is sometimes used to describe such collisions.		Elastic collisions are an ideal approximation that may not occur in practice, hence the term ''perfectly elastic'' is sometimes used to describe such collisions.

Vipul: Created page with '==Definition== A collision between two (or more) bodies is termed an '''elastic collision''' or '''perfectly elastic collision''' if the total kinetic energy of the bodi…'

2010-01-17T00:27:30Z

Created page with '==Definition== A collision between two (or more) bodies is termed an '''elastic collision''' or '''perfectly elastic collision''' if the total kinetic energy of the bodi…'

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==Definition==

A [[collision]] between two (or more) bodies is termed an '''elastic collision''' or '''perfectly elastic collision''' if the total [[kinetic energy]] of the bodies after the collision equals the total kinetic energy of the bodies before the collision. In other words, there is no conversion from kinetic energy to other forms of energy during the collision.

Elastic collisions are an ideal approximation that may not occur in practice, hence the term ''perfectly elastic'' is sometimes used to describe such collisions.

==Related notions==

* [[Coefficient of restitution]]: Usually denoted <math>e</math> or <math>C_R</math>, this number, which typically varies between <math>0</math> and <math>1</math>, measures the ''bounciness'' of a collision. An elastic collision has coefficient of restitution equal to <math>1</math>, and a [[perfectly inelastic collision]] has a coefficient of restitution equal to <math>0</math>.
* [[Perfectly inelastic collision]]: A collision after which the two bodies stick to each other, i.e., their relative position remains the same as their relative position at the time of the collision.