Elastic Collision Calculator

1D Elastic Collision

Mass 1 (kg)

Velocity 1 (m/s)

Mass 2 (kg)

Velocity 2 (m/s)

Formula

v1' = ((m1-m2)v1 + 2m2·v2)/(m1+m2) and v2' = ((m2-m1)v2 + 2m1·v1)/(m1+m2), where primed velocities are final velocities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an elastic collision?

An elastic collision is one in which both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. The objects bounce off each other without any permanent deformation or generation of heat.

Do perfectly elastic collisions occur in real life?

Perfectly elastic collisions are an idealization. However, collisions between hard objects like billiard balls or between atoms and molecules can be very close to perfectly elastic.

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