ELASTIC AND INELASTIC

COLLISIONS
EXPRESSIONS FOR FINAL VELOCITIES
• In our physical world and in the whole universe, bodies are continuously
colliding with other bodies.
• All these collisions affect their motion in many ways.
• Hence it is very much important to know the types and effects of collisions
in our physical world.
• Collisions are more ideal when they happen in an isolated system.
• Isolated system is one in which there is no other external forces acting on
the bodies.
• On Earth, of course, where gravity, friction, air resistance etc are acting all
the time.
• That’s why a perfectly isolated system in Earth is almost impossible to
achieve.
• Or else, the effects of collision must not be as perfect on Earth as they can
be in outer space.
• There are two types of collisions:
• 1. Elastic Collisions 2. Inelastic Collisions
• 1. Elastic Collisions: In these collisions both colliding bodies do not under go
any damage.
• Both the momentum and kinetic energy is transferred from one body to
another or we can say momentum as well as kinetic energy of the bodies
remains unchanged or conserved.
• It is because of the fact that the momentum & kinetic energy is complelty
transferred from body to another, there is no damage in this case.
• 2. Inelastic Collisions: In such collision momentum remains unchanged but
the kinetic energy is lost or does not remain conserved.
• Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, the kinetic energy is not
lost but rather converted into work that damages the bodies.
Expressions for final velocities
• We are here mainly going to discuss the elastic collisions in one
dimensions as most deliberate collisions are elastic where both
momentum and kinetic energy remains same.
• We use the kinetic energy of a cricket bat to hit a six & we use the kinetic
energy of a hammer to drift the nail into a surface.
• Hence in our physical world elastic collisions are more important and by
studying how velocities are transferred we can learn a great deal from
them.
• Let us now think of two spherical objects which are rotating along the
same line but not skidding, this is to minimize the frictional losses
• Remember the isolated system?
• Let m1 and m2 be their masses and U1 and U2 be the initial velocities & let U1
be greater than U2 as shown in the figure.
• If U1 will be greater than U2 and bodies are on same line then there will be
an elastic collision & their velocities will change.
• Let the final velocities be V1 and V2.
• If the whole system of these bodies is isolated then law of conservation of
momentum states that
• Total momentum before collision = Total momentum after collision
• m1U1 + m2U2 = m1V1 + m2V2
• m1U1 – m1V1 = m2V2 – m2U2
• m1 (U1 – V1) = m2 (V2 – U2 ) - - - - - - - - (1)
• This is an important step in expression & shall be used later.
• As assumed earlier, the collision is elastic so kinetic energy shall also remain
same.
• Total K.E before collision = Total K.E after collision
• ½ m1U21 + ½ m2U22 = ½ m1V21 + ½ m2V22
• ½ (m1U21 + m2U22) = ½ (m1V21 + m2V22)
• m1U21 + m2U22 = m1V21 + m2V22
• m1U21 – m1V21 = m2V22 – m2U22
• m1 (U21 – V21) = m2 (V22 – U22 )
• m1 (U1 – V1) (U1 + V1) = m2 (V2 – U2) (V2 + U2) - - - - - - - - (2)
• Now we divide the expression (2) by expression (1)
• (1) => m1 (U1 – V1) (U1 + V1) = m2 (V2 – U2) (V2 + U2)
• (2) => m1 (U1 – V1) = m2 (V2 – U2 )
• Now we are left with a new expression (3)
• U1 + V1 = V2 + U2 - - - - - - (3)
• From (3) we can take the value of V1
• V1 = V2 + U2 – U1
• Let us now put this value of V1 in expression (1)
• (1) => m1 (U1 – V1) = m2 (V2 – U2 )
• m1 {U1 – (V2 + U2 – U1)} = m2V2 – m2U2
• m1 (U1 – V2 + U2 + U1) = m2V2 – m2U2
• m1U1 – m1V2 + m1U2 + m1U1 = m2V2 – m2U2
• m1U1 – m1V2 + m1U2 + m1U1 = m2V2 – m2U2
• 2m1U1 – m1V2 + m1U2 = m2V2 – m2U2
• 2m1U1 + m2U2 + m1U2 = m2V2 + m1V2
• 2m1U1 + (m1 + m2) U2 = (m1 + m2) V2
• (m1 + m2)V2 = 2m1U1 + (m1 +m2) U2
• V2 = 2m1U1 + (m1 + m2) U2
• (m1 + m2) (m1 + m2)
• This is the expression for the final velocity of the body of mass m2.