Elastic Collisions in 1D (Edexcel A-Level Further Mathematics): Flashcards

Measures the elasticity of a collision

$e = \frac{\text{speed of separation}}{\text{speed of approach}}$

$e = \frac{v_B - v_A}{u_A - u_B}$

$0 \leq e \leq 1$

Perfectly elastic collision

Perfectly inelastic collision

$m_A u_A + m_B u_B = m_A v_A + m_B v_B$

Not generally conserved (except when $e = 1$)

$\Delta KE = KE_{\text{initial}} - KE_{\text{final}}$

When $e = 0$ (perfectly inelastic collision)