Two particles of a gas collide. Why is this considered an elastic collision?
A. They bounce off each other, conserving energy only.
B. They bounce off each other, conserving energy and momentum.
C. They bounce off each other, conserving momentum only.
D. They stick together, conserving momentum.
B. They bounce off each other, conserving energy and momentum.
Collisions between gas particles are generally considered elastic collisions because both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved during the impact. This means that after the collision, the total kinetic energy and the total momentum of the system (comprised of the two particles) remain unchanged, although they may be redistributed between the particles.