• Impact

Impact occurs when two bodies collide with each other during a very short period of time, causing relatively large (impulsive)
forces to be exerted between the bodies.

Central impact occurs when the direction of motion of the mass centers of the two colliding particles is along a line passing
through the mass centers of the particles (line of impact).
Momentum for the system of particles is conserved since during
collision the internal impulses of deformation and restitution cancel.

Steps to solve relevant problems:

Conservation of linear momentum along line of impact for
system of particles

Principle of impulse and momentum for each particle

Defining the coefficient of restitution, e, as the ratio of the

restitution impulse to the deformation impulse for each particle.

By eliminating the unknown v from the above two equations, the

coefficient of restitution, e, can be expressed in terms of the
particles’ initial and final velocities:

Carefully establish a sign convention for defining the positive

direction for the velocities and then use it consistently when
writing both equations I and II.

e is equal to the ratio of the relative velocity of the particles’

separation just after impact to the relative velocity of the particles’
approach just before impact.

e varies appreciably with impact velocity as well as with the size

and shape of the colliding bodies. In general e has a value between
zero and one.

Oblique impact occurs when the direction of motion of the mass centers of one or both of the colliding particles make an angle
with the line of impact.

Steps to solve relevant problems:

• Conservation of linear momentum along line of impact, x-axis, for system of particles.
 Steps to solve relevant problems:

• Conservation of linear momentum along line of impact, x-axis, for system of particles.
• Coefficient of restitution, relating the relative-velocity components of the particles along the line of impact (x-axis).
If these two equations are solved simultaneously, we obtain x-component of velocities (more general, the velocity components
along the line of impact.
• Conservation of linear momentum for particle A along the y-axis, perpendicular to the line of impact, since no impulse
acts on particle A in this direction. The y-component of velocities are equal before and after the impact.
• Conservation of linear momentum for particle B along the y-axis, perpendicular to the line of impact, since no impulse
acts on particle B in this direction. The y-component of velocities are equal before and after the impact.

Problems: