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favorite" onclick="return false;"><i class="fa fa-star-o"></i></a> </h1> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li><a href="../../../physics.html"><i class="fa fa-home"></i></a><i class="fa fa-fw fa-chevron-right divider"></i></li><li><a href="../217/mechanics.html">Mechanics</a><i class="fa fa-fw fa-chevron-right divider"></i></li><li><a href="../220/work-and-energy.html">Work and energy</a><i class="fa fa-fw fa-chevron-right divider"></i></li><li><span class="gray">Collisions</span></li> <span class="pull-right" style="color: #555" title="Suggested study time: 30 minutes"><i class="fa fa-clock-o"></i> 30'</span> </ol> <article id="main-article"> <p><img alt="" src="../../mechanics/work-4.jpg" style="float: left; width: 250px; height: 167px;">Using the laws of conservation of energy it is possible to calculate the combined velocity of two astronauts colliding in space...</p> <p>...in case that was on your bucket list :)</p> <p>You don't need to memorise everything on this page (you will always have enough information to work out the answers from scratch), but taking the time to do so could help you to rule out some Paper 1 multiple choice answers under time pressure. </p> <hr class="hidden-separator"> <div class="panel panel-turquoise panel-has-colored-body"> <div class="panel-heading"> <div> <p>Key Concepts</p> </div> </div> <div class="panel-body"> <div> <p>An elastic collision is one in which <em>E</em><sub>k</sub> and momentum are conserved.</p> <p><img class="sibico" src="../../../img/sibico/video.svg" style="height:1.25em;width: auto;vertical-align:text-bottom" title="Video"> In a collision between two equal masses in 1D the velocities simply swap.</p> <div class="video-embed vimeo"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" height="420" width="100%" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/162481694"></iframe></div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-footer"> <div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel panel-has-colored-body panel-yellow"> <div class="panel-heading"><a class="expander" href="#"><span class="fa fa-plus"></span></a> <div> <p>Essentials</p> </div> </div> <div class="panel-body"> <div> <p>When a body explodes, energy is given to the parts so <em>E</em><sub>k</sub> is obviously not conserved. However, momentum is conserved.</p> <div class="video-embed vimeo"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" height="420" width="100%" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/162729464"></iframe></div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-footer"> <div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel panel-has-colored-body panel-green"> <div class="panel-heading"><a class="expander" href="#"><span class="fa fa-plus"></span></a> <div> <p>Test Yourself</p> </div> </div> <div class="panel-body"> <div> <p><em>Use quizzes to practise application of theory.</em></p> <br><a class="btn btn-primary btn-block text-center" data-toggle="modal" href="#00993b15"><i class="fa fa-play"></i> START QUIZ!</a><div class="modal fade modal-slide-quiz" id="00993b15"> <div class="modal-dialog" style="width: 95vw; max-width: 960px"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="modal-header slide-quiz-title"> <h4 class="modal-title" style="width: 100%;"> Elastic and non elastic collisions <strong class="q-number pull-right"> <span class="counter">1</span>/<span class="total">1</span> </strong> </h4> </div> <div class="modal-body p-xs-3"> <div class="slide-quiz" data-stats="6-57-244" style="opacity: 0"> <div class="exercise shadow-bottom"><div class="q-question"><p>A large rock is attracted to the Earth as shown.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="gifffer" data-gifffer="/media/physics/images/rockandearth.gif" style="width: 348px; height: 232px;"></p><p>As the rock is travelling towards the Earth which of the following quantities are conserved?</p></div><div class="q-answer"><p><label class="checkbox"><input type="checkbox"> Kinetic energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Mass</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input type="checkbox"> Potential energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Momentum</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Energy</label></p></div><div class="q-explanation"><p>PE changes to KE<br>Momentum is always conserved if bodies are isolated</p></div><div class="slide-q-actions"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm btn-xs-block text-xs-center check"><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i> Check</button></div></div><div class="exercise shadow-bottom"><div class="q-question"><p>A rock orbits the earth at constant speed.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="gifffer" data-gifffer="/media/physics/images/rokorbit.gif" style="width: 348px; height: 300px;"></p><p>Considering the earth and rock to be isolated from the rest of the universe which of the following are constant?</p></div><div class="q-answer"><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Kinetic energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Total energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input type="checkbox"> Velocity</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Acceleration</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Potential energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Momentum</label></p></div><div class="q-explanation"><p>No work is being done so energy is constant<br>Bodies isolated so momentum is conserved (The Earth also has a small momentum)<br>Change of direction makes velocity change.</p></div><div class="slide-q-actions"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm btn-xs-block text-xs-center check"><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i> Check</button></div></div><div class="exercise shadow-bottom"><div class="q-question"><p>Observe the collision between two identical balls</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="gifffer" data-gifffer="/media/physics/images/collq1.gif" style="width: 348px; height: 152px;"></p><p>Which of the following are conserved</p></div><div class="q-answer"><p><label class="checkbox"><input type="checkbox"> Kinetic energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Total energy</label></p><p><label class="checkbox"><input class="c" type="checkbox"> Momentum</label></p></div><div class="q-explanation"><p>Angle is not 90° so not elastic</p></div><div class="slide-q-actions"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm btn-xs-block text-xs-center check"><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i> Check</button></div></div><div class="exercise shadow-bottom"><div class="q-question"><p>Two balls explode from one another as shown (reason for explosion unknown)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="../../images/coleq2.png" style="width: 430px; height: 108px;"></p><p>If the KE of the red ball is 20 J</p></div><div class="q-answer"><p>The KE of the blue ball = <input type="text" style="height: auto;" data-c="5"> <span class="review"></span> J</p></div><div class="q-explanation"><p>KE of red ball = 1/2 m 4<sup>2 </sup>= 8m</p><p>velocity of blue ball = 1 ms<sup>-1</sup></p><p>KE of blue ball = 1/2 x 4m x 1<sup>2 </sup>= 2m this is 1/4 of red ball KE</p></div><div class="slide-q-actions"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm btn-xs-block text-xs-center check"><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i> Check</button></div></div><div class="exercise shadow-bottom"><div class="q-question"><p>two identical spacemen collide and stick together as shown.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="../../images/coleq3.png" style="width: 400px; height: 132px;"></p><p>The total KE before the collision was 200 kJ. The amount of KE lost is:</p></div><div class="q-answer"><p><label class="radio"><input class="c" type="radio"> 100 kJ</label></p><p><label class="radio"><input type="radio"> 50 kJ</label></p><p><label class="radio"><input type="radio"> 200 kJ</label></p><p><label class="radio"><input type="radio"> 0 kJ</label></p></div><div class="q-explanation"><p>After collision the velocity is 1/2 but mass is 2 x</p><p>KE before = 1/2 mv<sup>2</sup> KE after = 1/2 x 2m x(v/2)<sup>2 </sup>= (1/2 mv<sup>2</sup>)/2</p></div><div class="slide-q-actions"><button class="btn btn-default btn-sm btn-xs-block text-xs-center check"><i class="fa fa-check-square-o"></i> Check</button></div></div> </div> </div> <div class="modal-footer slide-quiz-actions"> <div class=""> <div class="pull-left pull-xs-none mb-xs-3"> <button class="btn btn-default d-xs-none btn-prev"> <i class="fa fa-arrow-left"></i> Prev </button> </div> <div class="pull-right pull-xs-none"> <button class="btn btn-success btn-xs-block 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