Momentum

Chapter 6
Springy collisions
• An elastic (springy) collision is a collision in
which there is no net loss in kinetic
energy in the system as a result of the
collision.
• When a ball at a billiard table hits another
ball, it is an example of elastic collision.
• When you throw a ball on the ground and
it bounces back to your hand, there is no
net change in the kinetic energy, and
hence, it is an elastic collision.
Sticky collisions
• An inelastic (sticky) collision is a collision in
which there is a loss of kinetic energy.
• This is because some kinetic energy had
been transferred to something else.
• Cars colliding on the road, a bat striking a
baseball, a bullet embedding itself in a body
-- these are all inelastic collisions. 
Linear momentum
• Two quantities are important in understanding collisions:
• the mass m of the object
• the velocity v of the object.
• The momentum of an object is defined as the product of the mass of
the object and its velocity.

• The SI unit of momentum is kg m s-1.

• For a closed system;
• total momentum of objects before collision = total momentum of
objects after collision

• This is called the principle of conservation of momentum.

A perfectly elastic collision

• In this collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.

An inelastic collision

• During an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved but the total

kinetic energy of the bodies becomes smaller.