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What are elastic and inelastic collisions? After a head on elastic collision of two balls of mass m1 and m2, deduce an equation relating the final and initial velocities of both balls.

Elastic collisions conserve both linear momentum and kinetic energy, whereas inelastic collisions conserve only linear momentum. The derivation will be shown on the virtual black board.
JP
Answered by Jason P. • Physics tutor
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How can an object be accelerating when it's velocity is constant, and how does centripetal acceleration work.

Although an object in circular motion travelling at constant velocity isn't accelerating in the conventional sense, ie. changing speed, it's important to remember that it is a vector. Vector quantities have ...
TG
Answered by Tom G. • Physics tutor
3884 Views

Derive Keplers 3rd law

Equate gravitational force (GMm/r^2) to centripetal force (mv^2/r). Rearrange to get v^2=GM/r. Due to the approximated circular orbit v=2pir/T so v^2=4pi^2r^2/T^2. Therefore GM/r=4pi^2r^2/T^2. Rearranging gi...
MS
Answered by Michael S. • Physics tutor
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A projectile is fired at an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal, it reaches a maximum height of 12m above the ground before coming to rest 600m from its initial starting point at the same level. What is the initial speed of the projectile?

At first glance this question seems require solving in several steps, splitting horizontal and vertical components, taking a value for time from the motion under constant acceleration and then applying this ...
JS
Answered by Joseph S. • Physics tutor
9632 Views

A geostationary satellite is orbiting Earth, a) What is meant by a geostationary orbit? b) Calculate the height at which the satellite orbits above the surface of the Earth. The radius of the Earth is 6400km and its mass is 6x10^24 kg.

a) A geostationary orbit is when the satellite remains vertically above the same point on the equator at all all times and consequently has an orbital period of 24 hours. b) Use the equation T^2=4(PI)^2(r)^3...
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Answered by Edward N. • Physics tutor
21312 Views