An elastic collision is a type of collision between two objects in which both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved. This means that the total energy and total momentum of the system before and after the collision are equal. In an elastic collision, the objects involved do not stick together or deform upon impact.
The velocity of objects involved in an elastic collision can be calculated using the conservation of momentum and conservation of energy equations. The equation for conservation of momentum is mv1 + mv2 = mv1f + mv2f, where m is the mass and v is the velocity of each object before and after the collision. The equation for conservation of energy is 1/2mv12 + 1/2mv22 = 1/2mv1f2 + 1/2mv2f2, where 1/2mv12 and 1/2mv22 represent the initial kinetic energies of the objects and 1/2mv1f2 and 1/2mv2f2 represent the final kinetic energies of the objects.
No, not all collisions in real life are considered elastic. In fact, most collisions involve some energy being lost due to factors such as friction, heat, or sound. Elastic collisions are considered idealized situations that do not account for these energy losses.
Some real life examples of elastic collisions include a game of pool, a bouncing ball, or a collision between molecules in a gas. In each of these situations, the objects involved do not stick together or deform upon impact, and the total energy and momentum of the system is conserved.
In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved and some energy is lost due to factors such as friction or deformation of the objects involved. This means that the objects may stick together or deform upon impact. In contrast, in an elastic collision, kinetic energy is conserved and the objects do not stick together or deform upon impact.