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kikidoll
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If two cars are going towards each other, collide, and then are separated (have separate masses and separate velocities)... that is an elastic collision, correct?
Cyosis said:Your intuition is correct, you won't see two cars bounce off each other during a head on collision in real life. However with these kind of textbook problems it's important to just look at the data given regardless of how realistic it is. Your answer is correct.
An elastic collision is a type of collision where the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved. This means that the total energy before the collision is equal to the total energy after the collision.
In theory, yes, a car crash can be an elastic collision. However, in real-world scenarios, most car crashes involve some loss of energy due to factors such as friction and deformation of the vehicles involved.
To determine if a car crash is an elastic collision, we can use the principles of conservation of momentum and conservation of kinetic energy. If the total momentum and kinetic energy of the system before and after the collision are equal, then the collision can be considered elastic.
The elasticity of a car crash can be affected by factors such as the speed and mass of the vehicles involved, the angle of collision, and the materials and design of the vehicles. Other external factors such as road conditions and weather can also impact the elasticity of a car crash.
While most car crashes involve some loss of energy, there have been rare instances where car collisions have been considered elastic. For example, in a head-on collision between two identical cars traveling at the same speed, the collision may be considered elastic as there is no deformation or loss of energy.