two objects move toward each other collide and separate. there was no net external force acting on the objects but some kinetic energy was lost. is momentum conserved ? what is the explanation ?
if KE is lost, energy was not conserved.
So, momentum is not conserved.
The missing energy is lost as heat. It's still present in the system, but the moving bodies no longer account for all the energy in the system.
Momentum is conserved in an isolated system where there are no external forces acting. However, in the given scenario where two objects collide and some kinetic energy is lost, momentum is still conserved, but not all of the kinetic energy is maintained.
The explanation lies in the concept of conservation of momentum and the transfer of energy during a collision. When the two objects collide, they exert equal and opposite forces on each other, according to Newton's third law of motion. These forces cause changes in momentum, where momentum is the product of an object's mass and velocity. As a result, while the total momentum of the system remains constant, some kinetic energy is converted into other forms such as heat, sound, or deformation of the objects involved.
In summary, even though some kinetic energy is lost in the collision, momentum is still conserved. The loss of kinetic energy is due to internal forces and the conversion of energy into other forms.
In order to determine whether momentum is conserved in a situation where two objects collide and separate without any net external force acting on them, we need to understand the principles of momentum conservation.
Momentum is a fundamental concept in physics defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. Momentum is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. It is important to note that momentum is conserved in a closed system when no external forces are acting upon it.
Now, let's examine the scenario you described. Two objects are moving towards each other, collide, and then separate. Since there is no net external force acting on the objects, we can consider this scenario as a closed system.
When the objects collide, they exert forces on each other, resulting in a change in the momentum of each object. However, although the individual momenta may change, the total momentum of the system should remain constant, according to the principle of momentum conservation.
If some kinetic energy is lost during the collision, it implies that the objects' velocities decreased after the collision. Since kinetic energy is directly related to the velocity of an object, a decrease in kinetic energy indicates a decrease in velocity.
During the collision, part of the objects' kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy, such as heat, sound, or deformation of the objects themselves. This transformation of kinetic energy leads to a reduction in the objects' velocities, accounting for the lost kinetic energy.
Therefore, although some kinetic energy was lost, the total momentum of the system should still be conserved, assuming there are no external forces acting on the objects.