All Problems Laws of Conservation
Problem 1.168
A particle of mass \(m_{1}\) experienced a perfectly elastic collision with a stationary particle of mass \(m_{2}\). 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?
(a) \(\eta=2 m_{1} /\left(m_{1}+m_{2}\right)\) (b) \(\eta=4 m_{1} m_{2} /\left(m_{1}+m_{2}\right)^{2}\).