⦁ Explain the difference between an elastic collision and an inelastic collision
An elastic collision refers to a collision between two objects where both the momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In other words, total momentum and total kinetic energy before the collision are equal to the total momentum and total kinetic energy after the collision. During an elastic collision, the objects rebound or separate after impact.
On the other hand, an inelastic collision refers to a collision between two objects where the total momentum is conserved, but the total kinetic energy is not conserved. In an inelastic collision, objects stick together or deform upon impact, resulting in a loss of kinetic energy.
To summarize, an elastic collision conserves both momentum and kinetic energy while an inelastic collision only conserves momentum.