Which of the following statements is true for an elastic collision?
A. Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
B. Momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not conserved.
C. Kinetic energy is conserved, but momentum is not conserved.
D. The amount of momentum lost by one object is the same as the amount gained by the other object.
E. The amount of kinetic energy lost by one object is the same as the amount gained by the other object.
ADE
The correct answer for an elastic collision is B. Momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not conserved.
To understand why, let's explain what an elastic collision is and what happens during the collision.
An elastic collision is a type of collision where both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. This means that the total momentum and total kinetic energy of the system (which consists of the colliding objects) both remain the same before and after the collision.
During an elastic collision, the objects involved interact with each other in such a way that there is no permanent deformation or loss of energy to the surroundings. Instead, the total kinetic energy of the system is shared between the objects involved.
For option A, it states that both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. This is incorrect because in an elastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved. It is only conserved in an idealized case of a perfectly elastic collision, which rarely occurs in real-world situations.
Option C states that kinetic energy is conserved but momentum is not conserved. This is also incorrect because momentum is conserved in an elastic collision.
Option D correctly describes the conservation of momentum in an elastic collision. The total amount of momentum lost by one object is equal to the total amount of momentum gained by the other object. This conservation of momentum is a fundamental principle in physics.
Option E is incorrect because, as mentioned earlier, kinetic energy is not conserved in an elastic collision. The amount of kinetic energy lost by one object is not necessarily the same as the amount gained by the other object.
So, the correct statement is B. Momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not conserved in an elastic collision.
The correct statement for an elastic collision is:
A. Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
In an elastic collision, the total momentum and total kinetic energy of the system are conserved. This means that the sum of the momenta of the objects before the collision is equal to the sum of the momenta after the collision, and the sum of the kinetic energies before the collision is equal to the sum of the kinetic energies after the collision.