Is it impossible to lose all of the kinetic energy in a collision? Or, does a ball which bounces several times before eventually coming to rest show how kinetic energy can completely disappear?
Yes, it is possible to lose all KE, when two masses of equal and opposite momentum collide and stick together.
A bouncing ball loses a fraction of its kinetic energy with each bounce.
Take a wet glob of bubble gum and slam it into the floor. It sticks with a splat. Momentum is conserved, as the Earth moves. Then the Earth must have some reactionary velocity,
KE remaining= 1/2 Me V^2
But what is that V? Massbubblegum*velocity (let use number, say 10 g, and 2 m/s
KE bubblegum= 1/2 *.01*4= .02J
now conservation of momentum..
.01*2= (Me+.10)V
Vearth= .02/10^24
KE Earth= 1/2 Me (.02/Me)^2=E-4-24
portion of ke remaining= E-28/.02=5E-30
is that close enough to zero (lose all KE)?
It is not impossible to lose all of the kinetic energy in a collision, but this is not typically the case. In a perfectly elastic collision, the kinetic energy is conserved, and the total energy remains the same before and after the collision.
However, in real-world situations, collisions are rarely perfectly elastic. When a ball bounces several times before eventually coming to rest, it demonstrates how kinetic energy can be dissipated through various mechanisms, such as heat, sound, or deformation. Each time the ball bounces, some of the kinetic energy is converted into other forms of energy, reducing the amount of kinetic energy with each bounce.
Therefore, it is possible for the kinetic energy to be completely dissipated in a series of collisions or interactions, ultimately causing an object to come to a complete stop.
In a collision, the conservation of energy principle states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transferred or converted from one form to another. Therefore, it is impossible to lose all of the kinetic energy in a collision.
When a ball bounces multiple times before coming to rest, it may appear that the kinetic energy has completely disappeared. However, this is not the case. In reality, the kinetic energy is being converted into other forms of energy, such as thermal energy (heat) or sound energy.
To understand this process, let's consider the example of a bouncing ball hitting the ground. When the ball first makes contact with the ground, its kinetic energy is converted into potential energy as the ball compresses. As the ball rebounds off the ground, the potential energy is converted back into kinetic energy. However, due to various factors such as air resistance and internal friction, some of the initial kinetic energy is lost as heat and sound energy during each bounce. This loss gradually causes the ball to come to rest.
So, even though it may appear that the kinetic energy has disappeared, it has actually been converted into other forms of energy. The total energy in the system remains the same, satisfying the conservation of energy principle.