Momentum and collision calculator (elastic and inelastic)

Momentum and collision calculator: final velocities, total momentum and kinetic energy lost in an elastic, inelastic or partly elastic head-on collision.

Atualizado Exemplos verificados: 5

Signed: positive is to the right
Body 2 starts to the right of body 1
Experimentar
Velocity of body 1 after
m/s
Velocity of body 1 after: 0.333333 m/s
Algarismos significativos: 6; Ao mais próximo; empates afastando-se de zero
Velocity of body 2 after
4.33333m/s
Total momentum (conserved)
5kg·m/s
Kinetic energy before
9.5J
Kinetic energy after
9.5J
Kinetic energy lost
0J
Share of kinetic energy lost
0.00%
Impulse on body 2
5.33333N·s

In this elastic collision momentum stays at 5 kg·m/s; body 1 leaves at 0.333333 m/s and body 2 at 4.33333 m/s, and 0% of the kinetic energy is lost.

Velocity before and after (m/s)

Body 1 before: 33Body 1 beforeBody 1 after: 0.33330.3333Body 1 afterBody 2 before: −1−1Body 2 beforeBody 2 after: 4.3334.333Body 2 after

Kinetic energy (J)

0246810BeforeAfter
Body 1Body 2Lost to heat, sound, deformation
Como é calculado S
  1. Momentum before (conserved)

    p=m1u1+m2u2=(2)(3)+(1)(−1)=5 kg⋅m/sp = m_1u_1 + m_2u_2 = (2)(3) + (1)(-1) = 5\ \mathrm{kg\cdot m/s}
  2. Restitution

    e=v2−v1u1−u2=1e = \frac{v_2 - v_1}{u_1 - u_2} = 1

    e = 1 keeps all kinetic energy; e = 0 means the bodies move off together.

  3. Final velocities

    v1=p+m2e(u2−u1)m1+m2=0.333333 m/s,v2=p+m1e(u1−u2)m1+m2=4.33333 m/sv_1 = \frac{p + m_2e(u_2 - u_1)}{m_1 + m_2} = 0.333333\ \mathrm{m/s},\quad v_2 = \frac{p + m_1e(u_1 - u_2)}{m_1 + m_2} = 4.33333\ \mathrm{m/s}
  4. Kinetic energy

    KEbefore=9.5 J,KEafter=9.5 J,ΔKE=0 JKE_{\text{before}} = 9.5\ \mathrm{J},\quad KE_{\text{after}} = 9.5\ \mathrm{J},\quad \Delta KE = 0\ \mathrm{J}

Sobre Momentum and collision calculator (elastic and inelastic)

In a collision between two bodies, the total momentum m₁u₁ + m₂u₂ is the same before and after. The coefficient of restitution e, the ratio of separation speed to approach speed, supplies the second equation: e = 1 is a perfectly elastic collision and e = 0 means the bodies stick together. The two equations give both final velocities, and comparing ½mv² before and after gives the kinetic energy lost.

The default, a 2 kg body at 3 m/s meeting a 1 kg body moving at −1 m/s elastically, sends them off at 0.333 m/s and 4.333 m/s. A 1,000 kg car at 20 m/s that locks onto a parked 1,500 kg car moves off at 8 m/s, and 60% of the kinetic energy goes into deformation, heat and sound.

Motion is along one line: choose a positive direction and give velocities the other way a minus sign. External forces such as road friction are taken as negligible during the impact.

Exemplos resolvidos

Equal masses, elastic: velocities swap

Collision
Elastic
Mass of body 1
1 kg
Velocity of body 1 before
2 m/s
Mass of body 2
1 kg
Velocity of body 2 before
0 m/s
Show velocities in
m/s
Velocity of body 1 after
0 m/s
Velocity of body 2 after
2 m/s
Kinetic energy lost
0 J

Fonte de verificação: OpenStax UP1 §9.4: equal-mass elastic collision exchanges velocities

Car hits a parked car and they lock

Collision
Perfectly inelastic
Mass of body 1
1000 kg
Velocity of body 1 before
20 m/s
Mass of body 2
1500 kg
Velocity of body 2 before
0 m/s
Show velocities in
m/s
Velocity of body 1 after
8 m/s
Velocity of body 2 after
8 m/s
Kinetic energy before
200,000 J
Kinetic energy after
80,000 J
Share of kinetic energy lost
60.00%

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 decimal: v = 20000/2500 = 8; KE 200000 → 80000 J

e = 0.5 head-on

Collision
Coefficient e
Coefficient of restitution e
0.5
Mass of body 1
2 kg
Velocity of body 1 before
3 m/s
Mass of body 2
1 kg
Velocity of body 2 before
-1 m/s
Show velocities in
m/s
Velocity of body 1 after
1 m/s
Velocity of body 2 after
3 m/s
Total momentum (conserved)
5 kg·m/s
Kinetic energy lost
4 J

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 fractions: v1 = (5 + 1·0.5·(−4))/3 = 1, v2 = (5 + 2·0.5·4)/3 = 3; KE 9.5 → 5.5 J

Heavy ball hits a light one, elastic

Collision
Elastic
Mass of body 1
10 kg
Velocity of body 1 before
1 m/s
Mass of body 2
1 kg
Velocity of body 2 before
0 m/s
Show velocities in
m/s
Velocity of body 1 after
0.818182 m/s
Velocity of body 2 after
1.81818 m/s

Fonte de verificação: Python 3.8 fractions: v1 = 9/11, v2 = 20/11

Perguntas

What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

Both conserve momentum; only an elastic collision also conserves kinetic energy. In a perfectly inelastic collision the bodies stick together and lose the most kinetic energy that momentum conservation allows. When a 1,000 kg car at 20 m/s locks onto a parked 1,500 kg car, momentum stays at 20,000 kg·m/s while kinetic energy falls from 200 kJ to 80 kJ. Most real collisions fall between the two extremes.

What is the coefficient of restitution?

It is the relative speed after a collision divided by the relative speed before, e = (v₂ − v₁) ÷ (u₁ − u₂), a number from 0 to 1. For a ball dropped onto a rigid floor, e = √(bounce height ÷ drop height). The ITF requires a type 2 tennis ball dropped from 254 cm onto concrete to rebound 135–147 cm, which corresponds to e between 0.73 and 0.76.

How do you calculate momentum?

Momentum is mass times velocity, p = mv, measured in kg·m/s. It has a direction, so velocities in opposite directions carry opposite signs. A 1,000 kg car at 20 m/s has 20,000 kg·m/s. With no outside forces the total is the same before and after a collision, which is why two 2 kg carts meeting head-on at 5 m/s and sticking together stop dead.

What happens when two equal masses collide elastically?

They swap velocities. A 1 kg ball at 2 m/s hitting an identical ball at rest stops, and the second ball leaves at 2 m/s with all the kinetic energy; a Newton's cradle shows the same effect. With unequal masses the lighter body leaves faster: a 10 kg ball at 1 m/s sends a 1 kg ball off at 1.82 m/s and slows to 0.82 m/s.

Qual é a precisão de “Momentum and collision calculator (elastic and inelastic)”?

A precisão depende dos dados inseridos e das hipóteses do método. O cálculo decimal usa 50 algarismos significativos, mas estimativas, métodos numéricos e dados de origem podem ter menor precisão; o arredondamento exibido não elimina essas limitações. Exemplos resolvidos verificados com fontes independentes: 5. Por exemplo, “Equal masses, elastic: velocities swap” é verificado com OpenStax UP1 §9.4: equal-mass elastic collision exchanges velocities.

De onde vem o método?

OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, §9.4 Types of collisions; HyperPhysics — Elastic and inelastic collisions; coefficient of restitution.

Sobre esta calculadora

v1=m1u1+m2u2+m2e(u2−u1)m1+m2,v2=m1u1+m2u2+m1e(u1−u2)m1+m2v_1 = \frac{m_1u_1 + m_2u_2 + m_2e(u_2 - u_1)}{m_1 + m_2},\quad v_2 = \frac{m_1u_1 + m_2u_2 + m_1e(u_1 - u_2)}{m_1 + m_2}

Fontes

  1. OpenStax University Physics Volume 1, §9.4 Types of collisions
  2. HyperPhysics — Elastic and inelastic collisions; coefficient of restitution

Verificado com as referências

Esta calculadora inclui 5 exemplos resolvidos com respostas de fontes independentes. Eles fazem parte do conjunto de testes e você também pode executá-los aqui.

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