For an experiement to test elastic collision, ball 2 was at rest and ball 1 was released from a certain height and distance and hit ball 2. A set of measurements were collected which was v1 and v2 prime for each ball. I need to calculate the kinetic energy before and after collision for both balls. Would I use the equation KE=1/2mv2 ?
yes
Im alittle confused because my data sheet gives values for mass, height, diameter and then v1 and v'2. So would v1 ball one and V'2 ball two?
Yes, you can use the equation KE = 1/2mv² to calculate the kinetic energy before and after the collision for both balls.
To calculate the kinetic energy (KE) before the collision, you need the mass (m) and the initial velocity (v) of each ball. The kinetic energy is equal to half the product of the mass and the square of the velocity. So for ball 1, the kinetic energy before the collision would be KE₁ = 1/2m₁v₁², and for ball 2, it would be KE₂ = 1/2m₂v₂².
To calculate the kinetic energy after the collision, you need the mass and the final velocity of each ball, denoted as v₁' and v₂'. The kinetic energy after the collision would be KE₁' = 1/2m₁v₁'² for ball 1, and KE₂' = 1/2m₂v₂'² for ball 2.
So, depending on the measurements you collected, you can use these equations to calculate the kinetic energy before and after the collision for both balls.