Physics Chapter on Collisions

What characterizes a head-on collision?

Which statement is true about elastic collisions?

What happens during a perfectly inelastic collision?

In which type of collision is kinetic energy not conserved?

How are oblique collisions different from head-on collisions?

What describes the line of impact during a collision?

In what situation is momentum conserved but kinetic energy is not?

Which scenario exemplifies an oblique collision?

Collisions

Interactions between bodies that involve an exchange of momentum within a short period.
Bodies may come into contact or not, for example, a particle scattering off a nucleus due to repulsion.

Types of Collisions by Motion

Head-on/One-dimensional Collision: Bodies' velocities are confined to the same straight line before and after.
Oblique Collision: Velocities are not confined to the same line, can be two or three-dimensional.

Types of Collisions by Energy Conservation

Elastic Collision: Momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. Forces are conservative. Examples include atomic particle collisions.
Inelastic Collision: Momentum is conserved, but not kinetic energy. Forces are non-conservative. Example: collisions between vehicles.
- Perfectly Inelastic Collision: Colliding bodies stick together after collision, moving as a single unit. Maximum kinetic energy loss. Example: bullet embedded in a block.

Line of Impact

The line passing through the common normal to the surfaces in contact during impact.
The collision force acts along this line on both bodies.
Example: balls A and B approaching along line CD, the line CD is the line of impact.

Explore the different types of collisions in physics, including elastic and inelastic collisions. Understand how momentum and kinetic energy are conserved or lost during head-on and oblique interactions. This quiz will test your knowledge about the definitions and examples of these concepts.