Physics I / Linear Momentum, Impulse, and Collisions
Practice question · Put in order

Order the stages of a perfectly inelastic collision between two objects.

Hints
  1. Momentum is conserved through the impact itself.
  2. Perfectly inelastic means the two leave with a single common velocity.
Show the answer
  1. Two objects approach each other
  2. Objects make contact
  3. Objects deform and stick together
  4. Combined object moves with shared velocity
  5. Kinetic energy has decreased (converted to heat/deformation)
Why

In perfectly inelastic collisions, objects stick together and KE is lost.

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