Math 2.0

Mechanics of particles and systems Foundations of particle mechanics Concept

Inelastic collision

Builds on MomentumKinetic energyElastic collision

Summary

An inelastic collision is a collision in which some kinetic energy is lost, turned into heat, sound or deformation. The total momentum is still conserved, because the contact forces act in equal and opposite pairs. In a perfectly inelastic collision the bodies stick together, and the loss of kinetic energy is as large as momentum conservation allows. It is the opposite case to an elastic collision.

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Derivative, concept, no evidence levelDerivativeconceptEuclidean space, object, no evidence levelEuclidean spaceobjectEuclidean vector, concept, no evidence levelEuclidean vectorconceptOrdinary differential equation, concept, no evidence levelOrdinary differential…conceptVelocity, concept, no evidence levelVelocityconceptClassical mechanics, concept, no evidence levelClassical mechanicsconceptKinetic energy, concept, no evidence levelKinetic energyconceptMomentum, concept, no evidence levelMomentumconceptElastic collision, concept, no evidence levelElastic collisionconceptInelastic collision, concept, no evidence levelInelastic collisionconcept
Each page uses the pages above it. The colour of the bar on a box shows how strong the evidence is, and the box also gives it as text. The list has the same pages.
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  1. Derivative concept
  2. Euclidean space object
  3. Euclidean vector concept
  4. Ordinary differential equation concept
  5. Velocity concept
  6. Classical mechanics concept
  7. Kinetic energy concept
  8. Momentum concept
  9. Elastic collision concept
  10. Inelastic collision concept

Where this leads

1 page builds on this one.

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inelastic_collision
About this page
Tag1BFJYGPGB3
URIm2://1BFJYGPGB3
Kindconcept
WritingW0 stub
MSC70F35, 70F10
UsesMomentum, Kinetic energy, Elastic collision
Same as
Changed3 November 2026

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