Elastic and Inelastic Collisions

Question

anonymous · Answer

Just to check. An elastic collision is when the momentum before is the same as momentum after in terms of kinetic energy.

But an inelastic collision is when there appears to be less momentum afterwards but in fact this is because some of the KE has been converted into sound/heat energy?

anonymous · Answer

Therefore, the law of conservation of momentum is really just a simplified version of the law of conservation of energy?

anonymous · Answer

inelastic collision is one, where some of the initial kinetic enrgy is converted to some other form of energy..... and momentum is conserved... always.

it's not that in an inelastic collision, there is somewhat less momentum...
momentum remailns conserved in elastic as well as in inelastic collision.

it;s the kinetic energy part, which is not conserved in an inelastic collision...

anonymous · Answer

Ah, thank you