Which of the following best describes a completely elastic collision?

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision equals K after.

The potential energy (U) of the system before the collision equals U after.

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision is greater than K after.

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision is less than K after.,

Question

Physics

Alicia Stanton

2 January, 02:06

Which of the following best describes a completely elastic collision?

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision equals K after.

The potential energy (U) of the system before the collision equals U after.

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision is greater than K after.

The kinetic energy (K) of the system before the collision is less than K after.,

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Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Jennifer Fitzpatrick · Answer 1

The answer is (a) : The kinetic energy of the system before the collision equals the energy after the collision. An completely elastic collision is one in which no kinetic energy is lost or gained in a collision between two things. In elastic collisions, two things bounce off of each other at the same speed at which they were moving when they collided. This does not usually happen in collisions because energy is lost through collision; however, some gaseous atoms are able to collide without losing kinetic energy.