All Problems

Laws of Conservation

Problem 1.168

A particle of mass m1m_{1} experienced a perfectly elastic collision with a stationary particle of mass m2m_{2}. What fraction of the kinetic energy does the striking particle lose, if (a) it recoils at right angles to its original motion direction; (b) the collision is a head-on one?

Reveal Answer
(a) η=2m1/(m1+m2)\eta=2 m_{1} /\left(m_{1}+m_{2}\right) (b) η=4m1m2/(m1+m2)2\eta=4 m_{1} m_{2} /\left(m_{1}+m_{2}\right)^{2}.
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