Title
PHYS 110 – Experiment #7
3/25/24
Abstract
Introduction
Understanding the dynamics of collisions is paramount in
various fields of physics, engineering, and everyday life. This
experiment focuses on exploring two fundamental types of
collisions: inelastic and elastic. In inelastic collisions, objects
collide and stick together, resulting in a loss of kinetic energy.
Despite this loss, momentum remains conserved, adhering to the
principle that the total momentum of a closed system is constant.
Conversely, elastic collisions involve objects rebounding off each
other without any loss of kinetic energy. In these collisions, both
momentum and kinetic energy are conserved throughout the
interaction. Momentum, a vector quantity representing the
product of an object's mass and velocity, forms the foundation of
collision analysis. According to Newton's second law of motion,
