What are the similarities and differences between an elastic and an inelastic collision?
In both an elastic and inelastic collision momentum is conserved, however in an elastic collision the total kinetic energy is the same before and after the collision. In an inelastic collision kinetic energy is dispersed in the form of heat, sound or deformation. The elasticity of a collision is dependant on the speed of the collision, the angle of incidence and the material the objects are made of. In reality elastic collisions do not exist except between subatomic particles.
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